


Jewel

by wishiwerebella



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Everyone Is Poly Because Avengers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-04 22:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3092315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wishiwerebella/pseuds/wishiwerebella
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loving another person opens you up to all sorts of wonderful things and all sorts of hurt. Loving a bunch of people... makes it ten times worse!</p>
<p>While off world with Thor, a member of the Avenger's family is kidnapped by the Kree. It's the sort of thing that could only happen to this group. Fortunately, this group also knows just how to move on together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Tags will be adjusted as we go. This story has been ruminating in my head for awhile, and at the risk of going all Mary-Sue, includes an OFC because I couldn't imagine any character in canon acting this way. I hope it works. Feel free to slap me around in the comments if I've gone off the deep end.   
> Un- beta's so all mistakes are mine. If you point them out, I'll correct them. :)

A fierce, sudden gathering of dark clouds preceded the loud crash of thunder as Thor’s feet slammed into the helipad of Avengers Tower, seemingly out of nowhere.  The limp figure he held against his body made no move to acknowledge the deafening sound, as she usually would have. Thor’s dread increased. He ran across the rooftop to the entryway door as it was tossed open before him.

Steve Rogers stood inside the doorway looking mildly confused. “Thor, what happened?” As the god stepped inside, Steve got his first look at the woman in Thor's arms. True panic, the kind no one had ever seen grace the features of Captain America in even his most dangerous battles, seized him. “Thor!”

Thor didn’t stop moving to acknowledge the Captain. He swiftly moved down the hall and into the awaiting elevator, assuming Steve would keep up. As the doors closed and the lift descended an hysterical silence filled the air. Steve studied Thor’s face for any clue as to what was happening. The man beside him looked absolutely shattered. “Jarvis, assemble the Avengers in the infirmary, please.” Thor’s voice held none of its usual timbre and sounded frighteningly small. 

“I’ve alerted them all to your arrival, Sir. Doctor Banner is already preparing the room.” Even Jarvis’s reply sounded frenzied.

“What happened, Thor? How did this happen?” The unasked portion of the question, _on your watch_ , went unvoiced. Thor ignored him, focussed solely on supporting the fragile woman in his arms.

When the elevator doors opened, Thor sprang out of them and towards the medical bed Bruce was waiting besides. He gently laid his precious cargo down and took a step back as Banner began to assess the damage. “I… She… Please aid her, Bruce. Please.” The towering man’s voice cracked as he spoke, tears forming in his eyes. He moved away from the bed and sunk into a couch against the fall wall, never taking his eyes off of the still body.

“Captain, hold her leg still for me, please,” Banner instructed as he swiftly connected monitoring equipment and began an I.V. “It looks like she’s in shock. We’ll need to get an X-ray and set that break as soon as possible. I’m not sure that I can do that on my own. In the meantime I’ll administer I.V. fluids and pain medication to get her stable.” The doctor’s voice trembled with anger, but no one in the room showed any concern. They all trusted Bruce implicitly and relied on him in emergencies such as this. The infirmary was fully stocked, thanks to Tony Stark. As soon as Bruce finished administering pain meds and fluids, he turned his attention to the broken leg, pulling the portable X-ray machine from the corner of the room to the table. As he positioned her leg on the metal plate, he quietly asked Steve, “How?” 

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know. He didn’t say. I’ve never seen Thor look so helpless before,” Steve’s concern for Thor bled into his words.

Bruce removed the X-ray plate and replaced the machine. He returned to the table and began to apply a temporary splint to the injured leg. “Go take care of him. I’ve got her now,” Bruce sighed, panic fading into mild concern. “Her vitals are stable. It would help to know what happened before she wakes up.”

Steve crossed the room and stood in front of Thor. He seemed to tower over the god, who seemed so small in his grief. “Thor, tell us what happened,” Steve said as gently as he could. Thor’s eyes glazed over in terror and he actually whimpered. Steve knelt beside him and stroked his arm reassuringly. “She’s stable now. Bruce is taking care of her. It’s all right. Please, just tell us how this happened.”

“The Kree,” Thor sobbed, tears quietly flowing down his cheeks. “I lost her… They took her!” He shouted the last with anger. “It took me nearly an entire day to get to her. Twenty hours she was… they had her. I know not what they did. I found her in this state,” Thor explained and then fell earily silent again.

The infirmary doors swished open and deposited Natasha into the room, who paused to asses the situation. She asked no questions. She simply walked straight to the medical bed and picked up the woman’s hand in hers, holding it to her face gently.

“The pain meds should have kicked in by now. I think we should try to wake her up,” Bruce said loud enough for them all to hear. “I thought it would be best to wait for you,” he whispered to Natasha, who nodded in thanks. Bruce pushed a drug through the I.V. and waited. 

“Jules… Julia… wake up, baby. Please, wake up for me,” Natasha cooed, pushing the hair back from the injured woman’s face.

Slowly, Julia began to wake up, eyes fluttering open and closed several times before squinting open. “Are you real?” she croaked through dry lips. “Prove to me you’re real.” The deep fear in her eyes made Bruce take a step back, green tinting his fists slightly.

Natasha leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Iron Man wears Captain America boxers under his armor.” She smiled down kindly, hoping this would do the trick. Julia smiled.

“I’m safe with you,” she pronounced, relaxing into the bed, but tightening her grip on Natasha’s hand.

“I need to excuse myself,” Banner rushed out of the room, green becoming the dominant color of his skin too quickly. Natasha completely ignored him, keeping her eyes locked with Jules’. 

Steve stepped forward, “We were so worried, sweetheart,” he breathed, placing his hand on Julia’s shoulder. The piercing scream that followed gutted him to his core as Jules pushed his hand away and thrashed in the bed.

“No! No! No!” She screamed until Steve stepped a good ten feet back from the bed. Thor’s snapped to his feet, but stood his ground, afraid to hurt his lovely charge. 

“Shhh, “Natasha soothed her, making hand signals behind her back at Cap to reassure him that everything was alright. Well, as alright as it could be given the situation. “Shhh, baby. We’ll go to a private room, okay? You’re safe with me, remember?” Natasha gave Steve the signal for ten minutes and released the brake on the bed, wheeling it into the private room next door. As the door closed, Steve collapsed to his knees, his head in his hands. Thor remained standing, looking at the door through which the women had just left, utterly heartbroken.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter implies rape. Its just an implication, and didn’t happen to any of our characters, but I prefer to ere on the side of caution with trigger warnings. :)
> 
> As outlined, this fic looks to be about 12 chapters. I intend to post once a week, give or take allowances for Real Life and all. I just love fics where everybody loves everybody. ;P And I just love the idea that while in the tower, everyone is constantly using shmoopy nicknames for each other to compensate for not being able to do so in public. So, if you don’t like all the cutesy names, tough.   
> hearts

Tony and Hawkeye arrived a few minutes later, having cut their mission short to return thanks to Jarvis’s emergency signal. The moment he stepped across the threshold, Tony knew it wasn’t good. “Who?” was all he could manage to ask, seeing the misery on Steve and Thor’s faces. 

Steve stood and faced the two men. “Julia. She was taken by the Kree while off world with Thor. She was gone for 20 hours before Thor got to her. She has a fractured leg, and suffered some shock, but Bruce says she is stable,” Steve cut off his explanation, not wanting to continue.

“Where is she?” Clint asked, clenching his bow in his hand.

“She’s in the private room with Tasha… She… She screamed bloody murder when I touched her shoulder. Completely freaked out. She thinks she’s safe with Tasha, so…” Steve crumbled into Tony’s arms as the shorter man instantly moved in to embrace him. 

“It’s okay, Steve. She’ll be okay. We’ll all take care of her,” Tony reassured him. When he pulled out of the embrace, Tony went to sit next to Thor. “It’s not your fault, doll.” The reassurance went unacknowledged. “Thor… She’s safe. You saved her. Her leg will heal and everything will be alright. No one blames you, sweetie,” Tony continued softly, rubbing Thor’s back in small circles to coax him out of his daze. 

Thor broke down sobbing then as the floodgates opened. Tony and Steve both embraced him and let him weep. After a minute of grieving, Thor suddenly stood and wiped his eyes. “I have to go. I didn’t think. I have to…” Thor shrugged off the two lovers holding him and made a bee line for the door before either of them had time to process what he was doing, his voice fading off as he practically ran down the hall.

“Where did Clint go?” Steve asked in building confusion, realizing the archer was no longer in the room either.

“Where do you think?” Tony gestured towards the ceiling in answer. “Julia is well looked after. We need to call Pepper and get her here. I’ll have Happy drive her.” Tony pulled his Stark-phone from his pocket. “Can you go check on Bruce?”

“Of course,” Steve wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist as he spoke. “How did you know what to say to Thor to get him out of his stupor?”

Tony avoided eye contact. “It’s what I would have wanted someone to say to me,” he answered honestly. Steve tilted Tony’s chin up and kissed him gently on the lips.

“You never cease to amaze me, angel,” Steve praised. He released Tony to allow him to make his phone call and left to go find Bruce.

When Pepper arrived, only 15 minutes after Tony’s call, she already looked like a woman on the warpath. Everyone loved her fire, but knew that she needed to be calmed at a time like this.

“How the hell could this happen?! I keep trying to tell you all that she’s fragile. She’s not like the rest of you! Some of us aren’t super heroes and can get seriously hurt! Does that stop anyone from letting her traipse along with you all to different worlds and dangerous missions?! No! Of course not!” Pepper was ranting as only she could. Tony stood back from his former assistant’s pacing form and let her anger run its course. This was Pepper’s standard response to crisis; everyone reacts differently. When Pepper’s voice started to get too loud, and Tony feared it could be heard in other rooms, he finally intervened.

“Pepper, neither you nor Julia are weak," Tony interjected.

"Thor was just taking her home to visit his parents, as he has every right to do and has done with all of us at one time or another. There has never been any reason to think that traveling to Asgard would be dangerous for any of us. I know that it is frustrating and infuriating but there is no one to blame here but the ones who took her,” Steve was now stroking Pepper’s arms in a soothing manner as he spoke. Pepper began to calm. “Thor is more devastated than any of us. You should have see him. It was…” Steve didn’t want to think about how frightening it was to see the god of thunder so cowed. 

“Where is he now?” Pepper asked, wiping the angry tears from her face and taking deep breaths.

“He said he had to go and ran out. I think he just needed some time. He’ll be back soon I’m sure,” Tony could only hope. 

“Okay,” Pepper smoothed her clothes and wiped her face again, before putting on her brave face, the one she used for press conferences and facing the board. “I’m going in there. Please find Thor and make sure he knows that we all still love him and no one blames him. He’s got to be hurting right now.” 

“Of course, princess. We’ll have all the boys calm and gathered soon. Then we can address how we’re going to deal with this all together,” Tony told her, wondering how exactly this was all going to work out.

Pepper disappeared into the private room. As Steve left to go check on Bruce, Tony kept his ears perked for sounds of distress coming from any of his beloved teammates, but thankfully heard none. 

~~~~~~

An hour later, Steve and Bruce returned to the infirmary, Steve’s arm draped around Bruce. Bruce still looked a bit green around his fists, but was breathing in a steady rhythm, indicating he was keeping himself under control. Tony stepped towards them and they all hugged in unison, holding the position for a long minute, relying on each other for strength. This day seemed like it would never end and was exhausting them all. Eventually they all sat on the couch trying not to stare at the door behind which the women they loved were hurting, one more than any of them.

Pepper and Natasha emerged from the room a few minutes later, looking even more demoralized than before. 

“She’s asking us to call Coulson and insists he bring a S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor with him to treat her leg,” Pepper’s voice was shaky. Tony was on his phone in an instant.

“Did she tell you how she broke it?” Bruce asked, still clutching his hands in tight fists, but calming at the knowledge that Julia was at least talking to the girls.

“She broke it herself,” Natasha’s voice was that of an agent, hard and cool. “She pulled a cabinet of some kind down on top of herself."

“Why would she do that?” Tony temporarily abandoned the phone in his hand to ask the question.

Natasha hesitated, “Because the Kree require their... victims to be capable of standing.” 

A stunned, emotional silence filled the room. No one knew what to say or how to feel. Relief that Julia was probably spared some of the cruel treatment the Kree are known to inflict on their captives? Outrage that she would have had to do this to herself? Pride that she had handled herself so well? The swirl of emotions for each of them was intense. The sudden whooshing open of the door broke the silence. Tony returned to his phone, urging Coulson to come at once without telling him why.

Thor strode in with Loki at his heels. Both looked every bit the warrior gods they were with clenched fists and determined faces. “Loki can heal her,” Thor declared with a hint of hope in his voice. The others all exchange worried glances.

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea. Given her reaction to Steve earlier, I don’t think she’s ready,” Natasha said, maintaining the calm in her voice so as not to crush Thor’s small hope.

“At least let me try,” Loki pleaded, sounding every bit as desperate to do something as every one of the people in the room had felt all day.

“She’s asleep right now. The pain meds kicked in full strength a few minutes ago. Let’s let her rest and try in a bit, okay?” Pepper conceded. They all agreed and settled in to wait. “Jarvis, start the coffee.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Julia came to sleep with all of the Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're talking a nostalgia trip this chapter. Back to the current action next week. And I'm writing several smutty outtakes on the side, so keep an eye out for them in the coming weeks! Thanks for reading!

Julia first met Steve over a year ago at what turned out to be a favorite pizza place of both of them in Brooklyn. Who wouldn’t be besotted by that beautiful smile and all-american charm? They’d dated for just over three months before things seemed to get awkward each time they went out, which was becoming more frequent. Julia finally put her foot down and demanded that Steve tell her what the problem was. That night, Steve took her to Avengers Tower for the first time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The evening’s plan was dinner with Bruce, Natasha, Clint and Tony. Thor was off-world visiting his brother and had taken Pepper with him to see Asgard, or else they’d have made sure to be there to meet her, Steve assured.

They had all gathered in the living room to greet her upon arrival. Julia found it endearing that the whole group seemed just as nervous to meet her as Steve was to introduce her. It was easy to see that Steve relied on the opinion of his friends heavily, and they were very protective of him. Julia hoped to make a good impression.

Dinner was wonderful. Clint and Bruce had spent the afternoon making homemade tortillas and taco shells and preparing every kind of filling you could think of for them. Julia marveled at how much food the team could put away as a group, even though she’d become accustomed to Steve’s eating habits already. Conversation flowed easily among the group as they asked Julia where she was from (Connecticut originally, but her family moved around the country a lot and she ended up in New York and never left), where she worked (Brookdale Hospital, as a unit coordinator on the Cardiac floor), and what her family was like (Julia was an only child until the age of ten, parents divorced when she was 14 after realizing they were both having affairs). All, especially Clint and Tony, shared embarrassing stories about Steve. Julia was happy to spend the dinner talking about herself or Steve because the star-shock of meeting all the Avengers hadn’t quite worn off yet. It would have felt awkward asking the same personal questions of them.

Steve was just Steve to her. Yes, he’d spent the first date showing off a little when he’d had no problem getting them a seat at Daniel NYC with only 48 hours notice and easily swept her off her feet to spare her from crossing a puddle or two. He saved showing off the shield for the fourth date, when he’d almost been late because he’d decided to help stop a robbery on the way. And she’d admitted to buying and reading two different biography books about his life, one written before his return and one after, out of curiosity, after they’d met. The pair spent an entire evening, from 8pm until nearly sunrise, at an all night café having coffee and covering all the details of Julia’s life to make up for her advanced knowledge of his. Everything else about their relationship had been completely ordinary otherwise.

As Clint told a particularly funny story about a mission he and Steve were on where Steve somehow ended up with a rip down the backside of his pants he used his shield to cover up, Julia began to relax enough to really take everything in. She noticed that they all referred to Steve as Charming in his or her stories, a nickname she completely agreed with. Every one of them looked completely at ease with each other, Tony and Bruce were sitting particularly close together, as were Clint and Natasha. It almost felt like this was a triple date, except Tony’s hand brushed down Clint’s back as he laughed, and Natasha held Bruce’s hand longer than normal after high-fiving him over another story’s ending. Tony kept shooting meaningful glances at Steve, seeking reassurance the dinner was going well, and he would smile back. Julia marveled at how close they all seemed, completely connected. She thought that must be a real necessity with a team like this, trusting each other with their lives as often as they did.

After dinner they all helped to clear the table, except Julia who Tony insisted was a guest, and therefore exempt from KP. Natasha asked Julia if she’d like to stay for her first official Avenger’s Tower movie night and she’d agreed. Steve showed her to the guest room on the floor so she could change into something more comfortable for movie night.

 “So, what did you think of everyone?” Steve asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling her down onto his lap.

 “Are you kidding? Everyone was great, baby. How could I not like a group of people who obviously care for you so much? I just hope they liked me,” Julia twisted her hands in her lap.

 “I know they did, sweetheart. They feel exactly the same way! They’ve been asking me if I’d bring you to dinner for a few weeks now,” Steve admitted.

 “I don’t understand why you would be nervous about me meeting your friends. You picked me, and you picked them, right? You obviously have good taste,” she joked. Steve shifted nervously and looked as though he’d be pale were it not for the serum inside him.

“What’s wrong, honey? It was a great evening! Did they not like me? I know how close you all are, and I know their opinion is important to you. I tried really hard to make a good impression tonight,” Julia babbled, starting to worry that the night had not gone as well as she’d thought.

 “No, no!” Steve assured her, “You were perfect. They all adore you. You fit in very well with the group, actually. I’m thrilled!”

 “Then what has the worry crease between your eyes growing bigger by the second?” Julia asked, smoothing the skin above the bridge of Steve’s nose.

 “I know that we’ve been together a relatively short amount of time,” Steve began, rubbing her back rhythmically like a comfort object, “but I feel like you are special, and I don’t want to take our relationship any further without being honest with you.” Steve’s worry crease doubled in size. Julia feared she would develop one of her own any second.

 “Tell me what’s bothering you,” she demanded with a steadiness to her voice she did not feel in her stomach.

 “We’re all very close, Julia, VERY close, and I don’t want that to bother you.” Steve rubbed at the back of his neck absently. He felt like he was acting every bit the 98-year-old virgin Tony teased him he’d been before and blushed deeply. Julia remained quiet, with a confused and worried look on her face. Steve had no idea how to tell her about their relationship, and really wished he’d taken Tony up on his offer to coach him this morning. Steve took a deep breath and decided to blurt it out. “We’re in love.”

 Julia’s mouth dropped open a little. “Us?” Steve thought she needn’t sound quite so shocked about that possibility at this point, but left that to deal with later.

 “All of us. No one knows outside of this tower, because the world is not ready for this and we’re okay with that right now, but we’re all in a polyamorous relationship and I have no idea how to tell you that.” Steve laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Julia took a minute to process the words Steve had just said. She ran over their relationship to this point in her mind, searching for signs. She reviewed tonight’s dinner and saw the big picture more clearly. Finally, she formulated a question.

“Why are you telling me about this now?” Julia touched Steve’s cheek to bring his attention back to her. “What made you decide to tell me?”

“I really like you and I think that we could have something together,” Steve’s sincerity was undeniable. “I don’t want to continue without being honest with you, though. I may love you, but I won’t stop loving them.”

“How does this work? How would… we… work?” Julia felt like her mind had gone blank. Processing this information was completely overwhelming.

“Well, the way things are now is pretty relaxed. It started with just Tony and I, and Bruce and Clint, and Natasha and Thor. We all realized pretty quickly that we all had feelings for each other outside of those relationships. Tony missed Pepper, Thor and Clint were great together; Bruce and Natasha have always had a special relationship… It took some getting used to, but we found our groove in the end. We all spend a lot of time together, and at the end of the night, everyone just sleeps wherever they like. It usually works out… I’m not asking you to fall for all of us. Pepper was with Tony exclusively for months before she decided she felt comfortable enough with the rest of us to give a relationship a try. You can be exclusive with me,” Steve was starting to flounder, unsure what Julia would want to do.

“Okay… okay. I’m just gonna need a minute,” Julia excused herself to the ensuite bathroom. Steve let her have a moment to herself before following after her. “Sorry. It’s just a lot to take in all at once.” Julia leaned against the sink.

“I know. I’m sorry… Natasha told me I should have told you earlier. Tony said I needed to wait until you’d spent more time with everyone. I just didn’t feel right anymore not telling you. Not when I’ve got real feelings for you.” Steve ran his hand up and down her arm, grateful that she didn’t pull away from the contact.

“Okay,” Julia said as an exhale.

“Okay, what?”

“Okay, something. I’m not sure what yet. I’m just not ready to give you up. I want to see where this goes as much as you do… And I appreciate you trusting me with this.” Julia wrapped her arms around Steve’s waist and pulled him closer to her.

“Really? Oh, thank God,” Steve relaxed into her arms and leaned his head down to kiss her. “I don’t expect everything to be settled tonight. I know there will be lots of talking in the future. Please know that you can tell me anything.”

“What could I possibly have to tell you that could top this?” Julia laughed, and Steve joined in, kissing her again and holding her tightly, reassuringly.

“So do you feel up to your first Avengers movie night? Tony’s keeps plenty of spare clothes in all the guest rooms. I’m sure we can find a shirt and shorts for you to wear.”

“Absolutely,” Julia managed to sound way less nervous than she was as she took Steve’s hand and led him to the closet to find something to wear.

When the pair returned to the giant living room on the common floor, Steve stepped out first, smiling widely so that everyone would know that everything was okay. Julia followed hesitantly, peeking her head around Steve’s shoulder and waving at everyone. Clint was sitting on the right side of the couch, Natasha’s legs in his lap and her head on Bruce’s on the left side with a huge bowl of popcorn balanced on her stomach. Tony was bringing a tray of drinks into the room and set it on the coffee table.

“Julia! As the guest you get to choose tonight’s movie, doll,” Tony announced as he approached Steve with no hesitation and hugged him before taking Julia’s hand out of Steve’s and steering her towards the shelves of Blu-rays. Steve settled into the center of the second couch.

“Die Hard! Steve, you picked a keeper,” Tony declared as they returned to the couch and he slipped the movie into the Blu-ray player. Julia sat on Steve’s right and leaned into his shoulder. Tony sat to his left, his arm on the back of the couch behind Steve 

“Nice shorts,” Clint barely contained his laughter seeing Julia’s Avenger’s pajama shorts and Captain America T-shirt outfit. “You changed in the guest room, huh?”

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Steve had assured Julia it was not strange to be wearing their images on her clothes, and this was the most comfortable option available.

“It’s Tony’s sense of humor to make people wear Avenger’s apparel when they come over,” Natasha explained. “But that outfit does look good on you.” Natasha winked at her.

“I like the shirt, especially,” Tony smirked, handing Steve the giant popcorn bowl for their couch and starting the movie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three months after her first dinner at Avenger’s Tower, Julia moved in with Steve on his floor. They started spending at least one night a week sleeping on the common floor, sometimes entangled with each other, sometimes Steve would lay between Tony and Pepper while Julia slept curled around Natasha or Thor. It was Thor who brought Julia into the group the fastest. When he and Pepper returned from Asgard, there was an instant attraction.  By the time the anniversary of their first date rolled around, it was the entire team that celebrated with a romantic candlelight dinner of delivery from the pizza parlor where Steve and Julia met and a Die-Hard marathon movie night.

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki tries to heal Julia, and Coulson arrives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I posted this weeks ago. Seriously, I don't know why anyone reads anything I write. I'm horrible about updating. And with this story, plot just tackled me to the ground and made me write it, delaying the smut. Eh. C'est la vie. :)

Natasha and Pepper took turns staying by Julia’s beside until the pain meds wore off enough for her to wake. Bruce had given her large doses because the fracture to her leg was not set properly. When she woke up, she was still groggy and light sensitive, so Pepper turned down the lights in the room. Pepper went out of the room to let the others know she was awake while Natasha talked to Julia.

“Hey, love bug. How are you doing? Can I get you anything?” Natasha said quietly. Julia shook her head no.

“Is Coulson here yet?” Julia managed through dry lips.

“He will be very soon. Tony called him and told him to bring a doctor for you… Love bug, you don’t need to wait for the doctor. Loki is here. He wants to come in and heal you. Would you be okay with that?” She spoke slowly, allowing the opportunity for Julia to respond at any point. “He won’t come in here without your permission. I know you’re in pain, and you don’t need to be… Please let him try,” Natasha rarely let her emotions show to others, but tears threatened to fall watching one of the loves of her life suffer.

“I can’t… I don’t want them to see me like this. The boys don’t need to see me like this. It’s bad enough I’m inflicting myself on you and Pepper,” Julia cried quietly.

“Loki won’t mind, honey. No one will. You are not a burden! We love you and we just want to take care of you. Please, just try,” Natasha begged, wiping the tears from Julia’s face with a washcloth. Julia didn’t make a move to protest, which Natasha warily took as acquiescence.

Natasha opened the door and found Pepper and Loki waiting outside, with the rest of the worried group still hovering by the couch across the large infirmary. She indicated the two of them should come in and shut the door again.

“She’s scared. Be gentle, but be quick,” Natasha cautioned Loki so quietly she knew only he could hear. Loki nodded and stepped up to the bedside.

“You are so brave, darling,” Loki said bending to kiss Julia on the forehead. “We all love you and will get you through this.” Julia took his hand in hers and squeezed, giving him a small smile, which he returned ten-fold. “With your permission, I need to touch your leg in order to heal you, my jewel.” Loki’s smooth voice was just above a reverent whisper, in keeping with the calm quiet of the room. As soon as the last syllables left his mouth, Julia tensed, pulling her hand from his and thrashing her head.

“No. No! I am not a jewel. Stop!” Julia screamed and pushed Loki away, trying desperately to move away from him in the bed but unable to in her condition. Pepper and Natasha rushed to calm her, soothing her hair back and speaking calmly in her ear. Loki stumbled back from the bed, horrorstruck, before exiting quickly and entrusting Julia’s care to Natasha and Pepper.

“I’m not a jewel. I’m not,” Julia repeated over and over, shaking and crying in Pepper’s arms as she tried to soothe her.

“Shhhh. It’s okay, honey. It’s okay. You’re not a jewel. It’s okay,” Pepper soothed without really knowing what that meant. Natasha stepped out of the room, the tears from earlier finally spilling over.

Loki’s face was as ashen as Natasha’s, and the others in the room were starting to panic just looking at them. Steve stepped forward to hold Natasha as she sobbed while Tony and Thor embraced a shaken Loki.

“She won’t allow me to touch her,” Loki informed them despondently.

“What’s going on?” Coulson’s commanding voice boomed through the room, momentarily breaking the team out of the shocked sorrow they’d been ensconced in. Automatically, everyone in the room straightened their posture and focused on him. A S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor trailed behind him, medical bag in hand.

 “Julia was taken by the Kree. Thor retrieved her, but she’s hurt and she won’t let any of us touch her. She asked for you specifically,” Steve answered, pulling away from Natasha. She had turned her head and dried her tears immediately when Coulson entered, not one to show weakness outside of their close group.

 “Is everyone else okay?” Coulson asked, staying calm as only he could.

“As okay as we can be in this situation,” Bruce spoke up from the couch where he was still doing breathing exercises to remain calm.

 “How long ago was this? What are her injuries?” The doctor asked.

 “She suffered some shock and a leg fracture. Thor brought her back a few hours ago,” Bruce stated flatly. Coulson checked his watch.

 “It’s late. Everyone try to get some sleep. No one is any good to her exhausted,” Coulson orders. No one moved. “Yeah, it was worth a try,” Coulson deadpans and heads for the door to Julia’s room, the doctor following.

 Inside the room, Julia has finally calmed, but the tear tracks remain on her face and her breathing is stilted with the occasional errant sob.

 “Julia, honey. Coulson and the doctor are here,” Pepper announces their arrival sweetly, despite her absolute fear that their presence will set the poor girl off again. Julia reaches out her hand for Coulson who takes it gently.

 “We’ll be fine, Miss Potts. Why don’t you go grab a coffee?” Coulson reassures her. “I think Miss Ula would prefer we had some privacy for this,” he said, his eyes sweeping upwards to the ceiling as he spoke, but landing on the doctor, who swept right back out the door with the departing women.

 With the click of the door behind Pepper, Julia turned her full attention to Phil Coulson, a man she had known only a few years, but trusted implicitly, just as much as the Avengers themselves.

 “I screwed up, Phil,” Julia’s voice trembled, tears threatening to come again, but she willed herself to calm until she had told Coulson everything. Phil patted her hand and sat gently on the edge of her bed.

 “I’m sure you didn’t,” Phil reassured with a sad smile, recalling their first conversation years ago.

 ~~~~

A few months after Steve introduced Julia to the rest of the team, one of their biggest fears came to pass. Julia was caught in the middle of a team mission. She was perfectly safe, Thor never left her side and Cap and Iron Man took down the subject faster than ever, but it was a harrowing experience for all of them. S.H.I.E.L.D. had done all it could, at Coulson’s bidding, to stay out of the Avenger’s personal lives. This time there was nothing even Coulson could do to keep Julia off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s radar, especially since the Hulk wouldn’t allow Julia out of his sight until she was safely inside headquarters. Bruce hadn’t required so much time to calm himself since his last visit to Harlem.

Nat and Clint escorted Julia to Coulson’s office. They lingered in the doorway the office until Coulson arrived, giving them a stern look. “Shouldn’t you two be in the Avengers debrief?” They both looked to Julia for assurance she approved of their departure before turning down the hall. Coulson’s suspicion that Julia held more power over the Avengers than even him was confirmed right before his eyes. This could be trouble.

“Miss Ula, I am Agent Phil Coulson,” he began, perching on the edge of his desk.

“I know who you are, Agent,” Julia interrupted. “They talk about you all the time, especially Clint. Please don’t try to tell me that I’m in over my head here, or wasting my time, or that it is too dangerous for me to be around the Avengers. I was never in any real harm today and my life choices are just that, mine. I’m not going anywhere.” Coulson couldn’t keep the smirk off his face.

“I didn’t expect you would be. It’s clear who’s got the power here. They will take your side over S.H.I.E.L.D.’s any day of the week. That’s fine. I’m thrilled, frankly, to have another calming influence around and you seem to be good for them. I know that you’ve been a part of the Avengers’ reality for long enough to know the risks. You made the choice to be a part of their lives, and the risk you take by making that choice is just that, yours. But I want to offer a warning, if I may,” Coulson maintained eye contact with Julia until she noded in acknowledgement. “This group does not lose easily. Failure is not an option for people like them, and while they hold the public safety as their utmost concern, I don’t doubt for a minute that they would level entire cities to protect someone they love if need be. Part of the choice of being with them is knowing this- you don’t ever want to be the reason the Avengers have to go to war.” Coulson rose from his desk and walked around to sit in his chair.

Julia sat, stunned for a moment, before rising from her seat. “Where is the debriefing at?” She managed to sound much calmer than she felt, a deluge of emotions; anger, fear, and sadness, all warring in her mind at the same time.

“Third door on the right, down that way,” Coulson pointed down the hall and Julia turned to leave. “Julia, I am here to talk if you ever need to.” The softness in Coulson’s voice was soothing after his jarring comments. “Just, don’t screw up,” he added, but with an expression that Julia knows well, concern. He’s truly worried for them all.

“Thank you, Agent Coulson,” Julia said before opening the door and practically running into a very disheveled Bruce, who escorted her to the briefing.

~~~~

“The Kree wouldn’t have taken me if not for my relationship with Thor and Loki. They wouldn’t know everything they do now about Earth and the Avengers. Everyone would be safe!” Julia was near sobbing now. “It’s all my fault.”

“What happened on Asgard?” Coulson knew that what Julia needed now wasn’t another caretaker, but an Agent. It’s why she called him. “Why did the Kree take you?”

“They’re looking for a jewel,” Julia nearly choked on the word. “An infinity… jewel? Something they think that Loki is in possession of.”

“Why do you think that?” Coulson struggled to maintain the calm in his voice.

“Once I was… injured… they decided torturing me wouldn’t work. They used a… machine? Person? I don’t know. They were inside my head; they could see what I was thinking. I tried, really hard, but my thoughts turned to the Avengers, and Earth, and spending time with Loki and Thor and the others…” Tears flowed freely down Julia’s face as she spoke. “They thought I was what they were looking for at first, because of Loki’s nickname for me. And now, because of me, they think that it is hidden here on Earth and they are coming for it.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coulson informs the Avengers they have a problem, and Julia's injuries finally get treated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me crazy trying to write it, and I'm posting so I can move on to chapter 6, where things finally get good (and smutty! :P) Bear with me.

A knock at the door broke the tension of the moment. Coulson sighed in frustration.

“Julia, let me make this perfectly clear to you. You did nothing to make this happen. The Kree would be looking for the… stone, or whatever it is no matter what. And you did all you could to protect yourself, which is exactly what you're supposed to do. I'm proud of you. You didn’t screw up, at all,” Phil reassured her, standing by her bedside.

“Thank you, Phil.” Julia was exhausted and beginning to lose her battle against sleep. Phil rose from the bed, shoulders tense and kind face transitioning into the determined look of "Agent Coulson."

“I’ll bring the doctor in now, but please consider letting Loki heal you. Don’t put yourself and everyone else through a lengthy recovery,” Phil asked, smoothing the covers by her injured leg before turning for the door. Pepper re-entered almost before Phil had the door completely open and the doctor followed her in, closing the door again.

~~~~

 “I am so sick and tired of that damn door closing in our faces!” Tony raged at no one in particular as Steve stroked his back soothingly. 

“What’s the situation, son of Coul?” These were the first words Thor had spoken in hours and it brought complete silence to the room.

“I know you’re all worried about Julia, but we have a more pressing concern right now,” Phil paused, uncertain if any of the Avengers would object to the statement he’d just made, and impressed by their professionalism when they all held their tongues. “The Kree used some form of psychic power to get information from her about something they’re looking for. She’s fine,” Coulson rushed to reassure them all, as Thor’s fists clenched and arms flexed in anger. “But she blames herself. That’s something we’ll have to deal with later.” Coulson included himself in the group that would help Julia to deal with her guilt. He knew all too well how being the “ordinary” one around the Avengers felt.

“The Kree are looking for something called an Infinity Jewel. They believe Loki was in possession of one and they think that it is hidden somewhere on Earth. They’re coming and we need a plan to stop them from laying waste to the whole planet before they realize that we don’t have what they’re looking for,” Coulson stated directly. All eyes turned to Loki.

“It’s an Infinity Gem, and if the Kree are looking for it, Thanos is behind it… I’ve never shared any information about the gem with Julia, though. Why would they…” Loki stepped forward, willingly divulging his secrets if it meant keeping Julia safe.

“ ‘Jewel.’ They translated it as jewel,” Coulson interrupted to explain. “For the love of god, tell me you didn’t hide it here.” Loki shrunk back at the hostility in Coulson’s voice. Horror crossed his face at the thought that her capture was his fault. Unconsciously, Loki leaned away from Thor and stepped back from the group.

“The scepter’s been in your possession since the events in New York. That’s what they’re after,” Loki admitted quietly. Coulson had his phone to his ear before Loki could finish the sentence.

~~~~

The doctor only needed a few moments to examine Julia and know that her injury would require surgery. “I can get you walking again, but it will require months of intensive and painful rehab. I wouldn’t normally discourage patients from this, because it is completely do-able, but you have another way. In my medical opinion, you should let the god heal you." 

“I can’t… I don’t know…” Julia’s breath came faster and her face paled. “I don't know if I'm comfortable having magic used on me right now."

“I can put you to sleep, Julia, just like I would for an operation. When you wake up, you’ll be good as knew. The issue here is consent. No one wants to do anything without your express permission. The choice is entirely up to you, no one is forcing you, and I will do the surgery if that is what you decide, but it is not my recommendation,” the doctor rationalized. “I can give you a moment to discuss it, if you like.”

“Okay… okay,” Julia agreed, very quietly. The doctor stepped to the side of the room where his bag was sitting on a chair. He pulled a vial and needle out of his bag and began to prepare the proper dosage.

“Pepper, before…” Julia lowered her voice to barely a whisper and raised her hand to cover her mouth. “I need to ask you, I know I can trust you with this… The Kree were in my head, and I’m scared. I can’t be sure that all they did was read my thoughts and if they did something else to me…If Loki’s magic makes things worse... I need you to tell Coulson. Turn me in to S.H.I.E.L.D., because I know the rest of them won’t do it and they have more than enough on their plate right now. Please, promise me.” Julia gripped Pepper’s hand so hard that her nails were leaving marks. Pepper hesitated, unsure how to answer. “Please!”

“I promise to do what you ask,” Pepper conceded quietly.

“Tell Loki… tell all of them, I’m sorry. I know that pushing them away right now hurts, but I have to be sure. I can’t screw this up. I’m sorry,” Julia whispered, dissolving into tears once again. Pepper shushed her and kissed her head, uttering promises and comforts.

“Okay. I’m ready,” Julia nodded to the doctor. He injected the drug to put her to sleep and checked her vitals one last time before packing his things away and stepping aside again, giving the women privacy. As Julia’s breathing slowed, Pepper stroked her hair. Once she was certain Julia was asleep, Pepper got up and called Loki to the doorway. The god separated himself from the group who were currently huddled around a Stark pad and approached the door, a quizzical look on his face.

“She’s consented to let you heal her,” Pepper said.

“What made her agree to try again?” Loki’s voice held an edge of apprehension.

“I think she just wants this all to be over. She said to tell you she’s sorry. She’s unconscious; the doctor gave her something to make her sleep. She’ll wake up healthy and ready to move on, not accounting for the emotional trauma and impending doom it looks like you guys are dealing with out there,” Pepper gestured to the others in the room. Tony, Bruce and Thor were gathered around a large star chart and Coulson, Cap and Natasha were gathered around a Stark Pad, their usual somber work faces on.

“The Kree are coming,” Loki explained, taking Pepper into his arms, seeking to comfort them both, “but thanks to her, we have advanced warning, and a chance to build our defenses. And every one of us will be there for her in any way she needs. This will all blow over quickly, I’m sure.” Loki reassured Pepper before kissing her cheek.

“Let’s get this over with then,” Pepper stepped aside so Loki could enter the room and followed him in.

“Goddamnit!” Tony’s voice floated through the door as it closed again. Pepper shook her head and smiled for the first time that day.

Loki stepped up to the side of the hospital bed and pulled back the blanket covering Julia’s injured leg. Pepper stood back against the wall, watching Julia for any signs of distress. Loki placed his hands on either side of her leg. A bright green light shone around the leg and his hands and shimmered faintly as the wound closed itself. Loki swept his hands along the length of her leg twice. While the green light continued to emit from his palms, Loki ran his arms swiftly over Julia’s entire body, from toe to head.

Pepper gasped. “What are you doing?” 

“I’m just being thorough. She was covered in little cuts and scrapes I’m sure she could do without,” Loki assured her. When he’d run his hand over all of her, he paused over her leg again, bowed his head in focus, and the green light disappeared. “I expect it will be awhile before she consents to visiting with me again. I’ve done all I can for her now.” The sadness seemed to weigh on Loki’s usually stiff shoulders physically, weighing him down. 

“She will come to each of us when she is ready. All we can do is be there, like we have been for each other before,” Pepper said. Loki nodded and skulked out of the room. Pepper sat by Julia’s bedside as the doctor stepped forward to check her vitals again.

“She’s completely fine, Ms. Potts. She’ll sleep a few hours longer at least, I imagine. You should get some sleep if you hope to be of any help to her. There are cots set up in the outer room. This team needs sleep, doctor’s and Coulson’s orders,” the doctor smiled kindly as he commanded her to rest.

“Coulson expects the team to sleep at a time like this?” Pepper asked.

“It would be best for everyone to be at their freshest when Ms. Ula wakes, I believe,” the doctor answered. Pepper sighed.

“I guess I should try to catch a few Z's. I'm sure Tony is going to take some convincing to settle down, too. No amount of inventing is going to help right this moment. Thank you, doctor.” Pepper rose from the bedside, yawning. Pepper followed the doctor out the door, blowing a kiss at Julia’s sleeping form before closing the door behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia wakes up and re-connects with Hawkeye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to the smut in this plot-fest! Yay! Many more fun chapters to come! I hope you're enjoying. And as always, THANK YOU to everyone who leaves comments! It makes writing faster and easier. :)

Julia woke up slowly, brain foggy from the drug used to put her to sleep. She took a moment to appreciate the absolute silence of the room, the stillness of being alone. She was unmistakably in Avenger’s Tower; the design of the room told her that. It took a moment for everything that had happened in the last two days to hit her fully. Her suddenly increased heart rate set off the monitor’s alarm.

 

“Good afternoon, ma’am. Are you alright?” Jarvis’s voice came from apparently nowhere, a tinge of concern clear despite the voice’s artificiality.

 

“I’m fine, Jarvis,” Julia answered just above a whisper. “Please, don’t inform the others I’m awake yet. I just need a moment.”

 

“As you wish, ma’am.” Jarvis responded in a lower volume as the alarm became silent. Julia sat up in bed for the first time since arriving, stretching, appreciative that she was finally pain and injury free. She dropped her hands in her lap and looked upward.

 

“Clint, are you up there?” Julia asked the ceiling, pausing to listen for an answer. “I know you’ve been up there, angel. I’m not mad. Come down and talk to me,” Julia smiled at the ceiling.

 

After a brief moment the air vent panel moved out of place and Clint dropped down, landing gracefully on his feet with a bashful look on his face. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, sweetheart.”

 

“Thanks. How long have I been home?” Julia smoothed the covers in front of her and patted the bed, inviting Clint to join her.

 

“Almost 24 hours now, since Thor landed on the roof with you in his arms and scared the crap out of all of us. Coulson ordered everyone to sleep a few hours ago. He’s taking care of the situation.” Clint sat gently on the bed, moving his hands first towards Julia’s leg, then back into his own lap awkwardly. Julia reached out and took his hand in her own.

 

“I won’t break, I promise. I missed you. Between you being on missions and my trip with Thor, it’s been weeks. Tell me what I’ve missed.” Julia settled into the bed. “Come on, sit with me.” Clint moved up in the bed and wrapped his arm around her.

 

“Nat and I only got back a few days ago. Bruce and her were locked up in his room for the first day and a half before they came up for air. Tony, Steve and Pepper took a few days and went to Malibu; for Pepper it was a business trip and the boys had a nice vacation. And I spent the last couple of days binge watching House of Cards on Netflix,” Clint informed her, his hands stroked up and down her arms as he spoke. “How have you been?” Clint asked, trying to keep the sadness out of his voice and almost succeeding.

 

“Thor took me to see the Well of Urd, and I got to spend a few lovely mornings having breakfast with Frigga while the men were sleeping in. We even slipped into Glaðsheimr so I could get a look at the thirteen thrones. It was beautiful! We had such a fun time…” Julia’s voice started to trail off. “And then not so much…” Clint held Julia closer, her head lying on his chest. “We’re going to have to open that door soon and everyone is going to come rushing in around me fawning and trying to comfort me. This would be one of those few times I’m averse to the idea of multiple partners. It’s so overwhelming!” Clint chuckled.

 

“We’ve got a few minutes more before Jarvis promised to wake them up. I can talk to them all first, if you want. They mean well,” Clint placed a kiss on Julia’s head. Julia tilted her head up and pulled his mouth to hers gently. It was a soft kiss at first, lips lightly pressed together, until Julia opened her mouth and swiped her tongue along Clint’s lips. Clint continued deepening the kiss, his hands running over her back and arms. Julia pulled back and began pulling at the hem of Clint’s shirt.

 

“I missed you, too, sweetheart,” Clint teased, grinning from ear to ear, “but I’m not sure that we should….”

 

“Shut up,” Julia commanded against his lips, tugging Clint’s shirt over his head and attaching herself to his lips insistently.

 

“Jarvis!” Clint called out, seeking help.

 

“I have delayed the Avengers’ wake up call 20 minutes, sir,” Jarvis replied, to Julia’s amusement.

 

“Good man,” Julia called out in thanks, moving to straddle Hawkeye. Julia leaned back and pulled her dress off. She was still wearing the bloodstained gown she’d been in when Thor found her. Clint helped her pull the dress over her head, his hands roaming over her body as she tossed the garment to the floor. Julia continued assaulting his mouth with kisses as both their hands scrambled at his zipper, freeing his already hard member.

 

They held each other tightly as Julia lifted her body, Clint’s hands at her hips, and slowly lowered herself onto his cock. She bit her lip to keep the moan that threatened to escape silent as Clint thrust his hips upwards rhythmically. His lips trailed down her neck, kissing and lightly biting across her collarbone. Julia’s arms were draped around Clint’s neck, hands gripping the back of his head as she moved up and down his length. Clint groaned as she gently tugged on his hair, just the way he liked it, and guided his mouth down her throat to her chest.

 

Clint took her right breast into one hand, his lips closing around the nipple of her left, tongue circling. Julia could no longer contain the small noises his ministrations caused. She buried her face in his neck to keep her moans quiet. Clint began to move faster, pushing them both closer to climax. Julia nipped at Clint’s neck repeatedly, sure to leave a mark that’d be seen just above his collar for a few days. Julia reached down and rubbed her clit, feeling the heat of his hard length just below her fingertips. Moments later her orgasm crashed through her body dragging Clint, shuddering, over the edge with her.

 

Neither released their grip on the other for a few minutes. Julia’s hands found their way back to Hawkeye’s hair, while he lazily stroked her back, thrilled to have her in his arms again. Too soon, Jarvis broke the peaceful silence.

 

“May I wake everyone now, ma’am?”

 

“Yes, Jarvis, it’s time,” Julia acknowledged, reluctantly pulling herself away from Clint. He left the bed and crossed the room, tossing Julia a pair of yoga pants and T-shirt that Pepper had laid out for her earlier in the day. The two dressed quickly. Clint pulled her into his arms and kissed her lovingly.

 

“I’m glad you’re home,” he told her, kissing her forehead, “and safe,” he kissed the tip of her nose, “and feeling better,” he finished, kissing her firmly on the lips one last time. Julia beamed at him. Clint took her hand in his and looked to her for a clear sign she was ready to go. Julia nodded, and Clint stepped forward and opened the door to the main infirmary.

 

Stepping through the door was like stepping into a whirlwind as each of the Avenger’s took their turn exclaiming their joy at Julia’s wellbeing. Clint guided her to a cot in the center of the room and sat her down, keeping his body in front of her, shielding her from the onslaught for a moment. Everyone’s arms were awkwardly flapping as they each raised hands to touch her, and withdrew awkwardly in fear of upsetting her. Steve huddled closest; his large frame nearly pushing Clint out of the way. Julia released Clint’s hand as she sat on the small bed and reached for Cap’s. The relieved smile on Steve’s face was radiant.

 

“I take it you’re feeling better, then?” Steve asked as he stroked his hand down the back of Clint’s head, flattening the mussed hair there. Both Clint and Julia blushed.

 

“I am,” Julia answered, a bit chagrined. She worried that Steve would be upset that she hadn’t turned to him first in this case. Clint had always been a calm, steadying force in the group, and the one she hadn’t seen in the longest. She knew he had watched over her every moment since her return, and felt comfortable reconnecting with him first. Now, she worried her lip between her teeth as she looked at the faces of all these people who loved her, and who she loved, and fretted she’d hurt them in some way. She noted that Thor and Loki stayed to the outskirts of the bunch, their smiles just as wide as the others’ but their eyes downcast.

 

Coulson saved her from any more uncomfortable dialogue with the entire group. “Ms. Ula, I’m glad to see you up and about. I think a formal de-briefing is in order. If you could come with me, please,” Coulson parted the group with his outstretched arm, leaving a hole through which Julia escaped willingly before drawing short as she heard Tony call out.

 

“Just a minute, Coulson. She’s already talked to you once, and we’ve just gotten her out of that damned room. Any further de-briefing that needs to be done can be done with the Avengers present,” Tony insisted, grabbing hold of Coulson by the wrist to keep him in place. Coulson opened his mouth to retort, but closed it again when Julia beat him to it.

 

“I’d rather not, Tony,” she asserted. “I’m sure Phil will make this debrief as quick as possible, and I’ll come right back to the residence, I promise. Right now, I’m just a bit overwhelmed by the whole situation and it will do me some good to download on poor Coulson. I have to be sure that he gets all the information S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers need to protect Earth from the Kree.”

 

Tony released Coulson’s arm and stepped back into Steve’s personal space, not touching him, but obviously more secure and comfortable in his presence.

 

“You can use the office on the common floor if you like. It’s secure, and Jarvis can assist you in you need it,” Tony said, acquiescing immediately.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Coulson said, following Julia’s already departing form out of the infirmary. The Avengers stood jumbled together for a moment more before Clint broke the tension.

 

“She’s back to herself, I’d say,” Clint grinned, grateful no one pressed him for details of Julia’s first few minutes awake.

 

“She’s coping,” Bruce refined. “The best thing to do now is get back into a routine and deal with hiccups as they come.”

 

“We have a routine around here?” Natasha joked.

 

“I’m going to check in with Happy and the office. I’ll be back for dinner tonight,” Pepper said, hugging Natasha and Thor before exiting.

 

“We too should do something productive while Julia’s occupied,” Loki chimed in.

 

“Gym,” Steve said brusquely, determined not to run after Julia and drag her back to the ‘safety’ of his room. Everyone nodded in agreement and paraded out of the room hastily.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia reconnects with Steve and Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The smut finally begins! yay. :P

Two cups of Irish coffee and a game of gin rummy later, Julia was certain she’d told Coulson absolutely everything she could remember about the few hours she’d spent as a Kree prisoner. Coulson didn’t hold back asking questions, relying on Julia to communicate her comfort level throughout the unorthodox debriefing. A few times, Julia delayed answering with renewed focus on the game and score, but she’d managed to push down any panic or uneasiness thanks to Coulson’s relaxed demeanor. In the end, it was Coulson who suggested that maybe the third cup of coffee wasn’t such a great idea, and perhaps she was stalling a bit too much now, and she had no choice but to agree.

“I’ll be at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters for the rest of the week, if you need anything. Jarvis can always get in touch with me,” Coulson told her, rising from the seat he’d occupied for the last three hours. “I’ll see myself out,” he said as he buttoned his jacket and left Julia alone in the now quiet office.

Julia stood slowly, leaning on the table and stretching after having sat in the small, stuffy room for so long. “Jarvis, where’s Steve right now?”

“Captain Rogers is currently in his bedroom, ma’am,” Jarvis replied immediately.

“And the others?” Julia doubted the entire group would be in Steve’s room, but she wanted to be sure she wasn’t walking into another overwhelming group huddle.

“Scattered about, ma’am. Miss Romanov is on the common floor, Master Barton is his office, Doctor Banner is in his lab…”

“Thank you, Jarvis,” Julia cut him off reasonably assured the others had found ways to occupy their time while she was busy. Julia walked to the elevator and hit the number for Steve’s floor. She stood in the center of the elevator, leaning heavily against the railing, taking slow, deep breaths like Bruce had taught her in yoga. When the door opened, she walked through the living room of Steve’s floor and directly to the bedroom. Julia came up short as she passed through the door.

Lying on the bed were both Steve and Tony, hair soaking wet from what must have been a very recent mutual shower, and towels, which were likely previously wrapped around their lower bodies, now spread out across the bed beneath them. The duo was entwined with each other, Tony’s legs wrapped around Steve’s waist and his arms planted on the bed behind him, on each side of Steve’s outstretched legs. Steve’s hands were running long strokes up and down Tony’s chest as the billionaire threw his head back with closed eyes and a lustful moan. 

Julia’s mouth hung open in a bizarre combination of shock and lust. While she’d never expected to find Tony and Steve getting busy at a time like this, she was glad for the view. It seemed almost a shame to interrupt, but Steve would never forgive her if she didn’t inform him she was free to be given a proper once-over and reassuring hug right away. Julia cleared her throat conspicuously.

Steve’s attention was drawn to the doorway instantly, and he’d literally dropped Tony to the bed. “Julia!” Cap exclaimed, looking very much like a beautiful golden retriever who’d just found his lost ball. Steve jumped off the bed, narrowly avoiding errantly kneeing Tony in the crotch in his excitement, and pulled his towel out from under the poor man. Tony groaned loudly.

“It took me two and a half hours to get him naked and now you’ve ruined his concentration,” Tony groused half-heartedly, his usual sexy smile still in place.

“I’ll make it up to you later, I promise,” Julia said flippantly. She closed the space between herself and the now towel-wrapped Steve in only three strides, stepping into his outstretched arms happily and practically burrowing into his chest. Tony simply rolled off the bed naked and stepped right up to embrace his two lovers.

“We missed you,” Steve uttered into her hair, pressing kisses to her head before and after. “How are you feeling?”

“I am ready to put the last forty-eight hours behind me and get back to normal home life with the Avengers,” Julia answered as the threesome ended the hug. Julia and Steve sat on the edge of the bed, hands still entwined. Tony made his way to the walk-in closet to dress, yelling across the distance to be heard.

“Charming here has been out of his mind with worry. We all have, really, but Steve especially. I kept telling him you were going to be fine, but you know he never listens to me,” Tony called from the closet.

“Thank you, Tony, for trying to talk sense into him. I’m sorry I interrupted,” Julia responded loud enough for both of them to hear her.

“I’m sorry, we were just… I was so worked up and Tony was trying to calm me down and keep my mind off things and…” The words tumbled out of Cap’s mouth.

“Steve, honey, you never have to apologize for seeking comfort from another team member. You know that. If anything, I wanted to apologize to you,” Julia interrupted Steve’s frantic explanation.

“For what?!” Despite the ongoing conversation, Steve’s eyes were running over Julia’s entire body, assessing. His hands had roamed the circuit from her back to her arms and to her knees twice already. Julia allowed him to continue, buying herself some time to think of the words she wanted to say next.

“For shtupping Clint before she came out of the medical bay,” Tony answered brashly for her as he walked back into the room. He’d dressed in an exquisite pair of grey linen pants and a blue button up shirt that immediately raised Julia’s pulse. He slapped Steve’s hand off of Julia’s knee on its third evaluative circuit and gave the woman a kiss on the cheek before sitting on the bed next to her.

“I’ve been there, darling. I know one experience is never exactly the same as another, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here. I had a hard time finding my footing again after New York, and I completely understand that you probably want some time to just pretend nothing happened. Just know that every single one of us is here to help you through the fallout. Rule one of our little arrangement is no jealousy. We’re just happy that you found some comfort from any of us.”

Tears welled up in Julia’s eyes without her consent, her chest tight. She turned from Steve to Tony and hugged him firmly, holding on to him until her breathing evened out again.

“Thank you, Tony.”

“I’m just so glad that you’re home and safe,” Steve was squeezing her shoulders, her arms, her hands as he spoke, beginning his fourth evaluation of her body.

“I’m fine, Steve, I promise! Loki set everything right,” she assured. “I feel fine… Nat and Pepper took great care of me. I’m sorry I was so overwhelmed; I’m still overwhelmed a bit, by everyone. I can’t remember the last time all nine of us were in the house together at the same time.”

“December 25th, 2014, ma’am,” Jarvis intoned.

“Thank you, Jarvis,” Julia giggled.

“Just take it at your own pace. No one will fault you for easing back into the team dynamic,” Tony encouraged.

“I’m still sorry I interrupted you two. That was a beautiful sight to come home to,” Julia told them, biting her lip. “I wouldn’t mind a reprisal.” Julia was grinning from ear to ear.

“Don’t you want to rest? Lay down for a bit, we’ll let you sleep…” Steve was stammering. Tony, as usual, saved him from himself. He leaned across Julia and pulled Steve’s mumbling lips to his own, forcing him to silence with his mouth. Julia’s giggled as her fingers went straight to the towel wrapped around Steve’s waist, undoing the tucked in bit holding it to his body and pulling the towel away from him. Tony and Julia ganged up on Steve, pushing him backwards onto the bed, Tony straddling his waist and Julia winding both her hands into Steve’s and holding them above his head. Tony kissed and sucked down Steve’s neck to his chest, lips coming to rest over one of Steve’s nipples and laving it with his tongue. Julia replaced Tony at Steve’s lips, kissing him passionately. Steve played at resisting them both, but the fact that the pair were overpowering him made his submission clear. It was several minutes of kissing and groping before Steve managed to free his lips long enough to speak again.

“Guys, this is so unfair. You’re both way overdressed for this,” Steve pointed out, pulling his wrists free of Julia’s grip and beginning to unbutton Tony’s shirt. Julia pulled her shirt and pants off quickly, tossing them to the side of the bed. Tony nudged Steve’s legs, encouraging him to move up in the bed. Steve scooted across the bed until his back hit the headboard, Julia’s hand again firmly in his. He pulled her closer and she used the momentum to go one step further and pull her left leg across his lap, resulting in her sitting in essentially the same position Tony had occupied when she’d entered the room earlier. Tony divested himself of his clothes and climbed onto the bed between Cap’s spread legs and behind Julia. The two men caressed and kissed every inch of her body they could reach and the twin sensations were causing little moans and gasps to escape Julia’s mouth every few seconds. 

“Tony, I thought the goal was distracting Steve, not me,” Julia said breathily, her hand wrapped in Tony’s hair as he sucked a small but clearly intentional hickey onto her neck. 

“All in good time, my dear” Tony replied. He placed his hands on Julia’s hips and lifted her off of Steve just enough to line her up with his cock. Steve played his hands over Tony’s, and the two men controlled the slow plunge of Captain America’s dick into her wet pussy. Steve and Julia moaned in unison. Tony smirked and sat back on his heels to admire the image before him. Steve and Julia set a slow rhythm of thrusting. A few blissful minutes of panting and clawing at each other and Julia was already trembling in Steve’s arms as her first orgasm coursed through her. They stilled for a moment as Steve continued to stroke her back and she floated down from the orgasmic high. Julia began riding him again only seconds later. Steve threw his head back and moaned, “Fuuuuck.”

“Language!” Julia admonished laughingly.

Tony was ready to rejoin the effort. He reached into the nightstand drawer and retrieved a small bottle of lube. He poured some into his hand and slicked his first finger before returning to his place behind Julia between Steve’s legs. Although the two were no doubt aware of what Tony was doing, they made no move to pause their current rhythm until Cap let out a little squeak and faltered.

“Damn, that’s cold!” Steve muttered over Julia’s shoulder. Tony kissed Steve, pressing Julia between their chests in the process.

“Sorry, baby. I’ll remember to warm it up next time,” Tony said, already adding a second finger as he stretched Steve out. Steve was now laying fairly still, allowing Julia to ride him as Tony continued to press his fingers in and out of his hole until he could add a third. Then Tony slicked his own shaft and pressed into Steve slowly. When he was fully seated inside of America’s greatest hero, he returned to toying with Julia's nipples from behind while kissing and sucking on whatever flesh he could easily access.

Julia was awash in the feel of her lovers’ skin against her body. She was surrounded on all sides by caressing hands and two wet, kissing mouths in search of the best place to mark her as their own. She made a mental note to ask Jarvis to order her a few light scarves to wear in the next week. What started as a slow and sensuous cadence was evolving into three bodies writhing against each other in search of release. Steve’s louder and higher pitched moaning was a clear signal that between Tony and Julia’s ministrations he was about to come. Steve took Julia’s left hand and Tony’s right hand in his own and held onto them for dear life. Julia’s free hand was twisted above her head and back, holding Tony close to her by the scruff of his neck. Tony moved his free hand from Julia’s breast to her clit and a crescendo of gasping breaths and strangled cries broke the lust-filled tension in the air. Steve came first, screaming both Tony and Julia’s names in rapid succession. Julia followed, riding out Steve’s orgasm and her own with small, stilted thrusts as Tony came nearly simultaneously, pulled over the edge by the way Steve’s body clenched as he came. 

Tony pulled a few clean washcloths from a pile hidden under the bed for easy access and tossed one to each of his lovers. The three cleaned up hastily and collapsed in a heap of entwined limbs onto the bed, Julia still ensconced between the two men. As their breathing settled, light petting stilled to a gentle embrace.

The serene silence was broken by a hiccupping sob. Julia buried her face in Steve’s chest and clung to him as tears began to pour down her cheeks. “Hey, hey. It’s all right, sweetheart. We’ve got you. Shhh,” Steve quietly soothed. 

“I can’t… I know that what happened will make you think that it’s too dangerous for me to be with you, but I can’t… live without you,” Julia stuttered out through her sobs. “I can’t lose you. I love you. All of you.”

“We love you too, sweetheart. You are a part of this family and this team just as much as any one of us. No one is going to try to protect you by leaving you. I promise,” Steve vowed.

“We will find better ways to protect you, sweetheart. Something like this is never going to happen again,” Tony reassured. The two men soothed and calmed her through the long, cathartic crying session.

“Thank you, boys. I missed you,” Julia whispered as she settled into the comfy bed and two warm bodies pressed against her, thoroughly worn out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never written m/m before. I hope I'm doing okay.
> 
> I often just forget to log on to update and comments make me remember. Just saying. :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a normal morning. Sorta.

Jarvis rolled the window blinds open at 7am, playing the song _Blue_ at a slowly increasing volume until Julia woke. “Jarvis, why?!” Julia whined, throwing her pillow at the window in annoyance. Jarvis cut the music off.

“My apologies, ma’am. It‘s been suggested that returning to your regular routine would be beneficial to you,” Jarvis replied unapologetically. Julia sat up in bed, feeling the empty sheets around her.

“Where are the boys?” Julia rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom, shuffling her feet and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“Mr. Stark is in his lab. Captain Rogers is on the common floor making pancakes. Would you like me to alert them that you are awake?” Jarvis inquired.

“No, thank you. I’m gonna shower before I wander down there… Did Steve put chocolate chips in any of the pancakes?” Julia turned on the spray in the shower and tested the temperature with her hand.

“He has, ma’am,” Jarvis answered. Julia stepped into the warm spray, smiling.

Fifteen minutes later the elevator doors opened on the common floor and out stepped a timid, freshly showered and hungry Julia. Her shoulders were tense and she visibly flinched when all eyes in the room turned to her simultaneously as she entered the kitchen. Steve smiled reassuringly and indicated with the spatula in his hand she should take a seat at the counter. Natasha leaned over and brushed shoulders with Julia as she took her seat, then returned her focus to her pancakes.

“Good morning, sweetheart! Sleep well?” Steve asked as he flipped two pancakes filled with chocolate chips off the griddle and onto a plate and slid them across the counter to her. Julia poured syrup all around the edges of the plate and started cutting into them with her fork.

 “I did, but I’m not talking to Jarvis anymore,” she grumbled.

 “I shall miss our little chats, ma’am,” Jarvis intoned. Steve plated a stack of pancakes for himself and took a seat at the table next to Clint, who stole the top pancake from Steve’s plate and kissed his cheek at the same time.

 “Pepper called,” Clint spoke through a full mouth. “She asked if we were still doing Friday movie night tonight. We weren’t sure if you’d be up for it yet…Ow” Clint flinched and glared at Steve.

 “Tony’s elbow deep in his workshop and we all have S.H.I.E.L.D. reports to finish on our latest missions so we should probably skip this week,” Steve said.

 “I really don’t need you to coddle me, Charming,” Julia scolded him gently. “Jarvis, please tell Pepper to be here at 7 and place my usual order for dinner. We haven’t had everyone together in months. Let’s enjoy it.”

“The boys didn’t want to overwhelm you, but I told them you’d be fine,” Natasha gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek and then put her empty plate in the sink. “We do actually have a report to finish, but I will be back after lunch. Call me if you need me, sweetheart.” Natasha headed for the elevator, calling back over he shoulder, “Clint, let’s go! Stop playing footsy with Cap and get your ass moving!” Clint gulped down the last of the orange juice in his glass and kissed Steve and Julia hurriedly as he ran after Natasha.

Julia and Cap ate their pancakes in awkward silence for a few minutes before Tony appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, and taking in the scene, he sighed. “Oh god. Steve’s being weird this morning, isn’t he?” Tony asked, retrieving the milk from the fridge and drinking it straight from the bottle.

Julia smiled and slammed her hands on the table dramatically. “Yes! Please, save me,” she begged, laughing.

“I didn’t want to overwhelm her, that’s all,” Steve said defensively to Tony. “Clearly, I’m doing something wrong, so I’ll just go finish my reports so I’m free for movie night tonight.” Cap put his and Clint’s abandoned plates and glasses into the sink and wrapped his arms around Tony from behind. He squeezed the shorter man lightly and kissed his neck before releasing him and moving around the kitchen island to where Julia was seated. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m just the worrier, you know that,” Steve apologized sweetly, kissing her on the forehead. “It may take a few days to shake off the turmoil from what happened. I just want you to know that I love you.”

Julia pulled Steve down to her level and kissed him. “I love you too, Charming.” Steve left and Tony took Natasha’s former spot next to Julia at the island.

“So movie night is still on, huh?” Tony mumbled with a raised eyebrow, shoving half a pancake in his mouth.

“Yeah. Steve is being way more worried than necessary. I’m fine. It was two days. Thor saved me, Loki healed me and Coulson says I probably didn’t give the Kree enough information to doom the entire human race, so everything’s fine.” Julia’s voice faded out over the last few words, her bottom lip trembling slightly, and her eyes stung with unshed tears. Tony rubbed her back soothingly. Julia took a deep breath and blinked away the wetness in her eyes. “Where are Thor and Loki anyway?” she asked buoyantly with a smile plastered on her face.

“Um… Thor is on his floor in a videoconference with S.H.I.E.L.D. because he refused to leave the tower for his debriefing and Loki went back to Asgard to update the family on your recovery,” Tony informed her with a guarded expression.

“So Loki’s avoiding me and Thor is joining Steve in the overprotective club, great. Movie night should be a real treat when Steve and Thor surround me in pillows on the couch and make us watch the Care Bear’s movie,” Julia groused.

“I promise you won’t have to watch the Care Bear’s movie, but if the guys want to build a pillow fort, I gotta say, I’m in,” Tony chuckled and Julia punched his arm in mock anger. “An experience like you had doesn’t fade away overnight, and this didn’t affect to you alone. Steve blames himself, Thor even more so, and Loki will come around soon, he just got a bit freaked. The rest of us are coping in our own ways… Every one of us has survived our own trauma before and the ripples can take some time to die out.” Tony’s words pushed Julia’s repressed tears to finally fall. Tony thumbed the falling tears from her cheeks.

“Coping?” Julia asked with a watery smile. “What did you build last night?” Julia used a napkin to dry her eyes.

“I’ve… just been tooling around with something. It’s nothing,” Tony answered smiling, the mood instantly lightened.

 “Come on, I wanna see,” Julia whined playfully.

“Jarvis,” Tony intoned and a virtual blue print materialized on the counter between their plates. Tony waved his hands across different sections, manipulating the design. “It’s a…” Tony scratched the back of his neck as he stalled on the words. “I just thought that with some modifications, I know the suit kind of freaks you out, and I thought maybe a different configuration would make it easier…” Julia grabbed Tony’s hand out from the center of the holographic plan, silencing him.

“Tony, honey, just tell me,” Julia kissed down his neck. Tony made one more motion towards the blueprint and the lines solidified in the center.

“It’s a portable panic room,” Tony said quietly, unconsciously holding his breath. “It’s supposed to fit in your purse and its bullet proof and strong, like my armor but its collapsible and has an emergency beacon.” Tony turned an adorable shade of red as he explained his latest invention to her. “Its coded to the Avenger’s fingerprints so if anyone tries to open it but one of us, they’ll get a shock that’ll make Clint’s electric arrow seem like a hand buzzer.”

“Tony Stark, you made me a bubble,” Julia said adoringly. Tony laughed.

“I guess I did, yeah. It’s actually more square shaped but… I wanted to make you something to make you feel safer. Anyway, it’s not done yet. Jarvis is still working out some of the kinks.”

“Instantly teleporting Madame back to the tower is a bit unrealistic, sir,” Jarvis cut in. They both laughed.

“In the meantime…” Tony pulled a small rectangular object out of his pocket. “This is not as secure as “the bubble”, but it will incapacitate an attacker, let us track you, and…” Tony clicked the smallest button on the device, grinning. “It makes a good flashlight.” Julia took the security device from his hands and placed it in her own pocket.

 “I’ll keep it on me,” Julia promised, and sealed it with a kiss.

“You know that’ll fit nicely in your bra, too,” Tony said, pulling Julia’s top down a bit and running his fingertips across the tops of her breasts. “No one will think to look for it there.”

“Oh, yeah. I’ll think about that,” Julia replied happily, wrapping her arms around Tony’s neck and pulling him in for a deeper kiss. The sound of a quiet throat clearing they both recognized as Bruce broke them apart.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Bruce intoned, smiling shyly.

“No problem, love bug. I have maxed out my non-workshop time for the morning anyway. Time to get back to work.” Tony deposited his pancake plate and coffee cup in the sink. As he passed Bruce in the doorway, he gave the man a kiss just as passionate as his last with Julia. “God, I love my life,” Tony enthused, winking at Julia as he disappeared out of the room.

“He’s insatiable. I don’t know how one person ever handled him,” Julia commented.

“I think his playboy reputation was well-earned.” Bruce went to the stove and grabbed the teakettle, filling it at the sink. “How are you feeling this morning?” Bruce set about making tea, placing the kettle on the stove, getting out his cup and tea bag and milk, all with his back turned to Julia to give her some privacy as she answered the loaded question.

“I’m surprisingly okay; the occasional breakdown, but overall calm. I used some of those silent mediation techniques you taught me in my debriefing with Coulson yesterday, so thank you,” Julia took a deep breath, trying not to ramble at Bruce.

“I’m glad I could help.” Bruce turned back towards her and leaned on the counter across from her. “I’d like you to come by my lab sometime today, if you don’t mind.”

“A booty call, love bug?” Julia asked, mock-scandalized. The teakettle began whistling and Bruce turned back to making tea.

“No, sweetie,” Bruce replied, his gentle smile fading on his face. “I’m not sure the other guy is ready for that just yet. I had a rough time when Thor first brought you into the infirmary.”

“I’m sorry,” Julia apologized in a small voice, thinking about what Tony had said about ripples.

“This was not your fault. Nothing to apologize for,” Bruce’s voice held an uncharacteristic angry tinge. Bruce turned back with two mugs of hot tea and pushed one across the counter to her. “I’d like to take a few scans, just for my benefit; confirm there’s no residual damage from the Kree or using Loki’s magic.”

Julia was quiet for a few seconds. Bruce sipped his tea, giving her time to sort her feelings on the subject.

“I don’t have any plans today, so whenever you’d like me is fine.” Her forced smile was back, but Bruce thankfully didn’t comment.

“How about we have our tea in the lab while I set up the equipment?” Bruce offered.

“Sure,” Julia walked around the island, slid her plate into the sink and then linked her left arm with Bruce’s right. Bruce placed a kiss on her forehead as he led her out of the kitchen. It was only 8am and Julia already felt emotionally worn out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm continuing to write plot okay. Chapter 7 was fun! Chapter 9 will be again. :) Feel free to leave comments and tell me what I'm doing wrong or right? Thanks for reading!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Loki reconnect with Julia.

Julia’s eyes were covered with a small, lavender scented pillow, her body comfortingly weighted down with several blankets on top of the small examine table as Bruce’s favorite operetta streamed through the room’s speakers when the first loud bang startled them both. Thor’s bellowing voice could be heard echoing through the hallway, “Bruce! Where is she?”

Bruce sighed, halting the arm of the scanner as it passed over Julia’s chest and entering reset commands in the computer while calling to Thor. “She’s in here, sunshine. She’s fine! Stop lumbering onto my floor and slamming doors, please.”

Julia pulled the eye pillow from her head and propped up on her elbows. “Thor, what’s wrong? I’m fine. I’m right here. I’m sure Jarvis told you that,” she tried to reassure the panicked man. Thor sprinted to her side and took her hand in his, dropping Mjolnir at his feet. 

“Jarvis informed me that Doctor Banner was running scans and I feared that you were injured or hurting in some way,” Thor explained, then kissed her hand gently without releasing it.

“I’m just running some voluntary diagnostics,” Bruce clarified. Another loud bang had Bruce immediately grimacing. “I have got to replace those doors with sliders,” he only half joked. With a rush of adrenaline, Loki hastened into the small diagnostic room.

“What happened?” The panic in his voice was palpable and the anxious look on his face nearly brought Julia to tears right there.

“I’m fine! Come here, Loki. I’m fine,” Julia soothed. She sat up and held out her free hand to the forlorn god. “Bruce was just being extra thorough and running some diagnostics. Nothing to worry about, no lasting damage.” The last was obviously not true; ripples. Loki stood just inside the doorway with a pained grimace on his face, hesitating to advance towards Julia. She waved her hand at him. “Loki, take my hand. Please,” she kept her voice steady and calm for him. Loki stepped forward slowly and took her hand in his so gently Julia hardly felt his grip. Loki’s worried eyes scanned her body for any defects.

“I’m sorry, brother. I was irrationally frightened when the A.I. told me she was here. I shouldn’t have worried you,” Thor repented.

“I’m sorry you both worried needlessly,” she said turning to Loki. “I’m glad it brought you back though. I didn’t like the idea of you avoiding me at a time like this.” What little color there had been to Loki’s features drained.

“I would never have left if I thought that you needed me,” Loki rushed to explain.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m so, so sorry that I scared you so badly before. I know that you would never hurt me, and I’m very grateful to you for healing my leg,” Julia said. Loki frowned.

“Is there something I missed that Banner felt the need to do more tests?” Loki asked with a hint of anger in his voice. Julia hesitated to answer, already feeling the pinprick of tears at the corners of her eyes. She took a deep breath.

“They were in my head,” she sobbed, tears flowing already. “I can’t be sure they didn’t do something that would make me dangerous to you. I don’t know everything I told them or what they told me. And it terrifies me that I could be the one to destroy the Avengers.”

“This is all my fault…” Both grief-stricken brothers spoke nearly in unison. It made Julia giggle for a moment.

“This is no one’s fault,” Julia assured, cupping each brother’s cheek in her hand. “Thor, you did everything to protect me while I was in Asgard, and you saved me in record time, even for an Avenger. I may not be able to enjoy your pet name for me anymore, but it doesn’t mean I love you any less, Loki. It was the Kree’s mistake, not yours.” Julia beamed at them both; tears giving way to pure joy at how lucky she was to have so many beautiful souls love her so dearly. “I love you both so much.”

Thor swung her legs off the edge of the table and sat between them, cradling her head in his large hand as he kissed her passionately. Julia felt Loki’s lips on her neck a moment later, as he showed affection to her as well.

“Can we maybe move this to a more comfortable place?” Julia asked, while the god of thunder nibbled across her collarbone and the god of mischief sucked on the skin of her neck. Without either of them disengaging their lips from her body, Julia felt the familiar swirl of the world around them as Loki used his magic to change their location.

Thor’s bedroom in Avenger’s tower was massive. It had to be to accommodate the humongous bed that he slept in, often with as many other Avengers’ as he could. Julia now found herself sitting on the edge of that soft bed, instead of in Bruce’s medical lab. She was also completely naked, as were the two gods, but this didn’t surprise her in the least. Sex with Loki and Thor was usually a fast, licentious affair.

“That’s always such a head rush for me,” Julia commented.

Loki answered, “I’m sorry, I thought it best we get here quickly, but we’ll take our time, love, don’t worry. We’ll take gentle care of you.” For several minutes Thor’s strong hands and Loki’s long fingers danced across her writhing body, warm lips following after, driving her into a lustful frenzy. Loki pulled her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled gently, his hot breath cascading down her neck and causing her to shiver delightfully. Thor’s mouth attached to her nipples, alternating every 30 seconds or so until she could scarcely keep herself from pressing forward each time his lips departed her skin, even for the briefest of moments.

“Please, Loki, Thor, please!” Julia whined, thrusting her hips forwards towards Thor and then backwards towards Loki. Any other time, she’d have been spit-roasted between the two brothers by now, moaning like a whore and loving every minute of it. Loki’s hands came to rest on her hips.

“Be still, love. We don’t want to hurt you,” Loki pronounced. Julia rolled her eyes.

“I’m not any more fragile than I was a week ago! Stop treating me like a china doll and fuck me already,” she shouted, angry heat intensifying her glare at the two Asgardian men she was currently sharing a bed with. She’d had the loving, gentle sex with Tony and Steve last night. Now, she wanted the rough, shattering kind. Loki blinked in stunned silence for only a moment before her favorite wicked grin graced his features. Thor was not so quickly persuaded.

“I do not think you fragile, but I also do not wish to cause you further injury, either physically or mentally,” the thunder god confided, brushing his fingers through her hair gently. Julia looked up into his mournful eyes and placed her hands on either side of his face, holding his gaze.

“I do NOT blame you for what happened, nor does any other person in this building. You saved me,” Julia spoke with a firm voice. “Loki healed me, and you saved me and I am very grateful to both of you for those things. So please, let me show you my gratitude in our favorite way.” Her eyes sparkled and he smile went wide as a Cheshire’s as she said the last, a grin to match that which had fallen from Loki’s face with his brother’s confession of concern.

“Far be it for us to deny the lady, Thor. She knows what she wants,” Loki prodded, wrapping his hands in he hair and pulling her neck slightly to the side, so the exposed, creamy flesh lay between the two men’s faces. Loki licked a strip from her collarbone to her ear, never taking his eyes off of Thor. The resulting low grumble from Thor assured both his partners that he was ready to continue.

Julia closed her eyes, bit her lip, and held on for dear life as her two Norse gods began to truly love her. The delicate nibbles and love bites of before became marking, carnal mouthfuls of her flesh. Previously soft touches became strong groping of her most sensitive bits. Most importantly, they finally saw fit to give her what she truly desired. Loki lifted her body up just the few inches needed to seat their beloved on his brother’s cock, dropping her with some force so that he entered her to the hilt in one go.

The resulting scream of ecstasy would have been heard for miles had Thor not had the good sense to cover her mouth with his large hand. He removed his hand as they held her still for a brief moment, assuring she was all right. “Open your eyes, love,” Loki encouraged, unsure the panting, quivering mess of a girl was even capable of such a thing at this point, but wanting to assess her condition. Julia opened her eyes and took in the sight of Thor’s chiseled features strained at the effort to not simply rut her into unconsciousness. Loki gave a slight nod to Thor over her shoulder, indicating he had evaluated her and they were good to proceed. Thor began to thrust with strength only a god could possess, and Julia’s moans and cries went unmuffled from that point on. He loved to hear the sounds she made as he fucked her.

Loki’s hand had never once abandoned its grip on her hair, controlling Julia’s lolling head as he bit and sucked each inch of skin exposed to him. His other hand wrapped around her body and toyed with her nipples, plucking and pulling the aroused buds the way he knew she loved. It took less than a minute for her first orgasm to crash through her body, and he eyes screwed shut once more as the overwhelming bliss swept through her. Orgasm or not, she knew these boys were not done with her yet.

“You are so beautiful when you come on my cock,” Thor praised without pause in his rhythmic thrusting. “I would like to see that again.” Loki’s free hand descended down her body and came to rest on her clit. Those long, smooth fingers rubbed delicate circles across the swollen bud, resulting in Julia’s whole body tensing in the sudden and dramatic orgasm that took her by surprise. Loki pulled her head slightly back and covered her mouth with his, silencing any protest she may have made at his not ceasing the stimulation after her second orgasm in so few minutes.

Loki could see that Thor was close to cumming himself, and ceased kissing to whisper in Julia’s ear. “Such a beautiful, strong fucktoy you are for us,” he hissed in that tone that made Julia instantly wetter. “What would you do if we stopped right now?” Loki teased, pulling his hand away from her clit and resting it on her hip. Julia whined loudly, but found forming words too difficult. “A moment ago you thought the pleasure was too much, and now, in this moment, you don’t ever want it to end, am I right?” She nodded her head weakly, pleading with eyes for the god of mischief to continue. “We want to watch you come apart in our arms, darling,” Loki drawled, his voice liquid pleasure. Loki resumed rubbing her clit even faster than before as Thor’s thrust became deeper and more erratic. Julia tipped over the edge with a final scream rivaling that of Thor’s as they came nearly in unison.

The sweaty, panting triad laid back in the bed, arms and legs entangled with one another haphazardly. Loki pulled a clean blanket from beside the bed and covered Julia with it as she shivered in the chilled air of the room. “Our beautiful princess,” Loki cooed, stroking Julia’s hair and looking as though he was physically incapable of pulling his eyes away from her. “Can we get you anything?”

“I have to pee,” Julia announced unceremoniously, wrapping the blanket around her body and rolling across Loki’s prone form to exit the bed. In her absence, the two men embraced.

“Are you alright, brother? You didn’t participate fully in our union,” Thor was genuinely concerned. It was not like Loki to not take his pleasure in these instances.

“I’m fine, Thor. My desire for her, or for any of you, has not waned. I think it is too soon after…” Loki’s voice trailed off and Thor saw the pain in his brother’s eyes. Thor kissed his brother’s forehead and embraced him closer.

“She doesn’t see any of us as at fault. Now we must try to forgive ourselves the same way,” Thor advised. Julia appeared in the bathroom doorway.

“I’m going up to my floor to shower before movie night. Can I reserve a spot between you two for cuddling then?” She asked, eyes bright.

“Of course, my princess!” Thor boomed, causing Julia to blush.

“This new nickname is going to go to my head. I may need a shiny tiara to go with it,” Julia joked as she left the two Asgardian princes to their own devices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be one of my favorite chapters. If you enjoyed it, or have a pairing you want to see in an upcoming chapter, please leave a comment! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its movie night! With all of the team together, fun is bound to happen, right?!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to write. I think it was worth the wait, I hope you all agree. :)  
> I am writing on this story as part of #NaNoWriMo, so I have already completed Chapter 11 and started on chapter 12! I'm finally ahead again! Anyway... enjoy! And please comment if you love movie night orgies as much as I do! :D

“Avengers assemble!” Jarvis’s voice intoned throughout the tower, notifying everyone simultaneously that it was time for movie night. The quiet common floor living room quickly became a bustling hub of activity. Nat and Clint arrived first, heading straight for the attached kitchen to begin making milkshakes. Bruce arrived next, pulling a popcorn popper out of one of the upper cabinets and getting to work making several large bowls of popcorn. Steve came up the elevator with a mound of take-out bags in his arms, which he laid out on the large, square coffee table in the center of the room before joining the others in the kitchen. Loki merely popped into the room already seated on the large couch, his feet propped on the coffee table. Thor arrived more traditionally by elevator, having shared his ride with Pepper. 

Steve looked all around the adjoined kitchen and living room, counting the members assembled. “Has anyone seen Tony since breakfast?” He asked. The chorus of no’s was unsurprising given the man’s reclusive tendencies. Steve shook his head. “Jarvis?”

“Sir has asked me to tell you he is ‘putting his toys away now and will be along in a moment with the lovely Julia’,” Jarvis informed the Captain. Despite their best efforts, every single person in the room reacted stiffly to her name. 

“Please tell me a group of elite superheroes and spies can do better than reacting like that,” Natasha said, only half jokingly.

“God, I hope so,” Pepper responded genuinely. “This is the first movie night we have all been together for in months. Let’s do our best not to force it to end early because we’re all walking on eggshells, okay? I, for one, have missed this and want to enjoy it.”

“Our beautiful lady speaks the truth,” Thor intoned in his usual gleeful, booming voice as he took a bowl of popcorn nearly the size of Steve’s shield from Bruce. Tony and Clint had used Steve’s shield once for their movie night popcorn but Steve was less than happy with the buttery, salty mess left behind afterwards and made them swear to never do it again. Tony, being Tony, made a replica of the shield to use the next movie night, but realized that wasn’t such a good idea when Steve got called in by S.H.I.E.L.D. to help with an asset before the movie started and grabbed the wrong one on his way out. Coulson said he’d never seen Steve as upset as he was when his “shield” broke into a hundred tiny pieces the first time he threw it. Tony and Clint were banned from movie nights for a month and had to take over KP for three months to make it up to Cap.

When Tony and Julia arrived to the floor, Tony was still holding a Stark pad in his hand with a miniature holo-blueprint above it as the two discussed this latest project, walking on auto-pilot to the couch and plopping down in the center. “Look, I get that this is for emergencies and all, but if you expect me to just sit in this thing and wait to be found or for you guys to declare the area safe for hours at a time, I’m going to get bored. I don’t need a hardcover book or anything! Just a pdf file will do nicely,” Julia was telling the engineer.

“All right. Give Jarvis the titles of a few things you’d like me to upload and I’ll work that into the final design,” Tony conceded, finally tapping the tablet to disappear the projected blueprint and setting it aside. Everyone was departing the kitchen with full hands now, handing off partners’ milkshakes and popcorn bowls until they were all settled in their various spots around the TV. Despite the fact that the living room alone on the common floor was well over 2000 square feet, they were entirely contained within the couch and assorted cushions; arms, heads, feet and legs overlapped at random intervals.

“Jarvis, what is tonight’s feature?” Clint inquired, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

“In honor of Ms. Julia’s return, tonight’s film is one of her favorites, Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” Jarvis replied as the lights in the room dimmed and the large screen lit up with the opening credits.

By the time Audrey Hepburn was singing “Moon River” several people’s attention had strayed from the movie screen to focusing on a partner or two. Bruce and Natasha were at one end of the couch making out like teenagers. Thor, sitting next to Julia, was staring at the screen a little too intently, pretending not to be the one causing Clint to moan and writhe besides him as he stroked his cock under the blanket they shared. Tony, with one arm wrapped around Loki, holding him close, occasionally dropped kisses on Julia’s head and face while Steve, from his position on the floor, was more focused on giving her a mind-melting foot rub than the film.

When the credits began rolling, Jarvis didn't bother bringing the lights up; everyone's attention was elsewhere. Clint's eyes were wild due to Thor teasing him through the entire film, but not allowing him to come. Loki was now straddling Tony, kissing and biting his way along Tony's neck and collarbones. Steve had Julia in his lap, one hand down her pants while they both watched Loki drive Tony crazy mere inches away. Bruce and Natasha finally came up for air when they noticed the room had gotten quieter with the ending of the film. Natasha slid off the couch, and crawled to where Clint was sitting, legs spread wide, panting. 

"May I?" She asked Thor's permission before interrupting their play. Clint keened as Thor gave his cock a firm squeeze before releasing him.

"Don't let our angel get off too quickly, now, kitten," Thor instructed, pulling the blanket that had been covering the two men aside to allow Nat access. She knelt between Clint's legs and took him into her mouth to the hilt in one go. Clint nearly bucked right off the couch. Thor moved to get up, but Natasha placed a hand on his thigh, holding him in place, never losing her concentration on the fine blow job she was giving Clint. 

When Thor settled back down onto the couch, she began to undo his pants with her free hand. He quickly assisted her with freeing his cock. Natasha stroked him firmly, at the same pace as she was swallowing Clint's dick. The concert of moans the two men were making spurred her on and made her wet. A pair of hands tapped her knees, urging her to spread her legs wide. Pepper layed on the floor and slipped between Natasha's legs, wrapping her arms around the strong thighs abover her and licking furiously at the wet folds above. 

Across the couch, Loki was quickly becoming a right mess. Bruce had pulled Loki off Tony to place him on his knees on the floor. He quickly removed Loki's pants and his own while Tony watched, captivated. Bruce pulled a bottle of lube out from the drawer in the coffee table and slicked himself up. He lined himself up with Loki's ass but paused, teasing the poor god. Bruce pushed Loki's head down on Tony's cock before finally impaling the god in one sure thrust. Loki loved to be taken without prep; his body was simply made for it. Bruce quickly had Loki humming and moaning around Tony's cock which in turn pulled the same noises from the billionaire's throat. 

The sight before them had both Steve and Julia entranced. For a few minutes they just watched in silence. When both Loki and then Tony let out a particularly loud set of moans, it seemed to break the spell and spur Steve back into action, resuming stroking Julia softly while whispering in her ear.

"Are you enjoying the show, sweetie?" Steve's voice was always a turn on for Julia, but when he got all husky and turned on she sometimes thought he could make her come with just his words. It was a theory she planned to test one day. If only the world knew how damn good Captain America was at dirty talk. "Do you wish it was you in Loki's place?" Steve whispered again, licking and biting the shell of her ear between sentences. "Or would you prefer to be in Tony's position, with Loki's talented tongue licking into you?" Steve began gently sucking a hickey into her neck, marking her. Julia knew from prior experience this was only going to prompt the others to want to mark her too and she shivered at the thought.

"I'm very happy right here with you, Steve. Please... Please, I need you inside me now," Julia pleaded, but Cap held her steady on his lap, rolling his hips up just enough for her to feel his growing erection beneath her. 

"Patience, sweetie. The team's just getting started," Steve purred into her ear while thrusting two fingers into her. "Will this do for now?" he asked with a smug chuckle as she fell apart in his arms. Her right hand flew up to grip the back of his head and pull his face to hers for a passionate kiss. When she'd calmed, they pulled apart and surveyed the sight before them.

Tony's hands were gripped firmly in Loki's long hair, controlling the frantic pace at which the god was working his mouth along Tony's cock. Bruce was poundng into Loki with equal fervor, while Loki leaked a steady stream of pre-cum onto the floor below him. Tony lost control first, holding Loki's head down and calling out his name in pure bliss. Bruce came next, pulling Loki back against his chest and biting his neck to contain the roar threatening to escape. 

Julia slipped from Steve's lap and onto her knees, swiftly taking Loki's cock into her mouth and bringing him off with one stroke of her hand. Before she could swallow the last of Loki's cum, she felt Tony's hand on her shoulder, turning her towards him and thrusting his tongue into her mouth. The pair kissed for several minutes, hands exploring each other's bodies. Steve palmed himself at the sight.

"Need some help with that?" Pepper asked, pulling at the clasp of Steve's pants. She freed his dick in record time and simply pulled her skirt aside a bit and mounted him.

Steve couldn't help the primal growl he uttered. "Were you going commando all day at the office today, Pep?" He set about sucking a hickey equally impressive to Julia's on her neck after she nodded her response, biting her lip. Cap really had a thing for marking his mates. Pepper moaned in ecstasy and rode the Captain hard, just like he liked it.

Natasha was now behind Julia, playing with her breasts and sucking her own mark onto the opposite side from the first. She pulled the brunette back against her so that she was laying along the couch comfortably. No one could really account for how or when clothes had come off, but no one was fully dressed anymore. Tony moved between Julia's legs and traced his fingers lightly along her folds before gently pushing a finger into her. He slid his finger in and out at an agonizingly slow pace before adding a second and his tongue to the mix.

Thor was reclining on the opposite side of the couch, now getting an expert blowjob from Bruce while Loki fucked Clint over the arm of the couch next to them. Just as he had while Natasha sucked Clint dry, Thor continued to make out with the archer, one hand cradling the back of Clint's head. Clint had been uncomfortable about Loki's being included in their little group when the subject first came up, but Thor, just as he had for Julia, settled his fears and brought him around on the idea. Thor really was the glue that held them all together.

Minutes later a second chorus of shouts and moans rose up from the group as first Julia, then Loki and Thor, and finally Pepper, quickly followed by Steve, reached climax. The various members of the sweaty, panting group all turned with one focus towards the center of the couch, where Julia lay.

With a flick of his wrist, Loki pushed aside the coffee table and replaced it with the large, padded ottoman. Thor lifted Julia, still coming down from her second orgasm of the night, out of Natasha's arms and placed her upon it carefully. Eight sets of lips descended on her, kissing, licking and suckling at her skin. Eight sets of hands massaged and titilated her body. The entire group was focused solely on her pleasure in this moment. 

Loki was at her head, kissing her lips, her nose, her cheeks, sucking another mark along her neck. Steve and Tony knelt on either side of her, each trailing their fingers along her arms, her wrists, her shoulder. Natasha and Pepper focused their mouths on Julia's breasts while their hands gently soothed across her collarbone, her sides, her stomach. Thor was center stage, feasting upon his lovely paramour, using fingers and tongue to bring her ever closer to the brink. Clint and Bruce each attended to her legs, sucking their marks along her thighs, hands wandering her knees, her calves, the tops of her feet.

The sensation of so many hands and lips on her body quickly rendered Julia a non-verbal, wrecked mess. As she climaxed, every person ensured that they were in contact with her body in some way. Thor gave her only a moment to come down from her high before returning his focus to her core, sucking his mark just above her clit, driving her further senseless. They continued to touch, to glide soft hands over hot skin, to brush lips across her most sensitive places, until she exploded one final time, bucking her hips into Thor's face as he held her hips and flicked his tongue across her clit at a speed only a god could achieve.

At some point after, the ottoman disappeared, likely Loki's doing. The group fell into a tangled pile of limbs, heads on stomachs and chests, feet entwined or in another's lap. No one had spoken a word in so long, the silence settled perceptibly on them until Julia's voice broke through the palpable barrier, cracking with emotion. 

"I love you all so much. And I missed you. I am so thankful that I found this magnificent group of people to love." Tears creeped down her cheeks as she spoke, and were quickly wiped away by Steve.

A chorus of "I love you's" filled the air, causing a few giggles among the lovers entwined on the floor. They sat in silence for as long as they could, happy just to be together.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life returns to somewhat normal in Avengers tower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am at least one chapter ahead in writing now, and want to update more often. I promise I will update as the words come to me! Thank you to everyone who is still hanging in there and reads the updates as they come. I heart you all!

The routine of life in Avenger's Tower, if you could call it a routine, plodded on. S.H.I.E.L.D. briefings, paperwork and missions sometimes kept a few of them late into the night or even away for a few days. Normal sleeping arrangements had resumed, with some of them on the couch occasionally, others in their own bed or another's. At first glance, you'd hardly notice the tense shoulders, or tight jaws, or distressed stomachs the inevitable Kree invasion was causing them all. Coulson visited with Julia a few more times in the tower; she'd refused to see a proper therapist. She took the secrecy and security of their group very seriously, and wouldn't compromise that by allowing any random doctor insight to her thoughts, even a S.H.I.E.L.D. trained one. Julia had given Phil all of the information she could remember. Coulson dug deeper, using hypnotic suggestion to coax every last detail her brain had captured from her lips. Then they had tea and chatted about anything that was on Julia's mind that day. It was nice to have someone "on the inside" to confide in who wasn't one of her lovers.Loki and Thor went back to Asgard for over a week, attempting to track down the Kree who ordered Julia's capture. They were unsuccesful. The Allfather met with them to discuss the Kree's invasion plan and what little information Julia had recalled, in case they should attempt to strike Asgard as well. Despite not finding any new information, the trip was not a total loss; Frigga returned with her sons to Midgard.

The trio arrived, unnanounced, at dinnertime one evening.

"You're home!" Steve shouted excitedly as he rose from his seat at the head of the dinner table to embrace Thor and Loki. Julia jumped out of her chair at Steve's pronouncement and clamoured around the huge table to get to Loki and Thor. She practically ripped the men from Steve's grip, placed one arm around each of their waists, and held on to them as tightly as she could. The princes enveloped Julia between them. She buried her face in Thor's chest, her fists clenching around the fabric of their tunics till her knuckles were white.

"And you brought the lovely Queen home with you. How are you, Frigga?" Steve inquired, hugging the Asgardian queen and then passing her along to the next of the Avengers at the table with open arms. Julia didn't let go of the brothers and so neither did they. Everyone in the room noticed. They each welcomed Frigga with a warm hug and settled for knowing looks and one armed hugs to greet the two returning men.

"I'm well, Steven, thank you. I've missed you all! Please, don't let our arrival interfere with your dinnertime. We've got plenty of time to catch up and you all look too thin! Jarvis, haven't you been feeding them?" Frigga spoke as she worked her way through the group, smiling brightly.

"I can only order the food, ma'am. I've tried to force-feed Sir on occasion, but he has since deleted that function from my database," Jarvis replied fondly.

"Join us, there's plenty," Bruce pulled out the seat beside Steve's for Frigga while Nat and Clint grabbed three more sets of dishes and silverware from the kitchen. Tony piled mashed potatoes, carrots and pork chops onto Frigga's plate before taking his seat and digging in to his nearly untouched plate.

"Are you alright, Julia?" Thor whispered against her ear as he placed a kiss on her head. Loki, running his hand soothingly along her back, shared a look of concern with Thor over her head.

"I worried about you both the whole time you were gone. I'm very happy to have you back safe, that's all," Julia's response came muffled in Thor's chest, where Julia had one ear pressed to listen to Thor's heartbeat. They moved to sit at the far end of the table, where they could remain together without displacing anyone else. Nat passed Julia's plate down to her without comment, but with a loaded look towards Loki and Thor; they'd be having a discussion about this later.

"So, Frigga, did you just need to get away from the hustle and bustle of palace life or did your sons just refuse to leave Asgard without their mommy?" Clint teased, earning him a kick under the table from Pepper.

"Mother did not get to visit with Julia long during our visit to Asgard and it has been some time since she's visited here, but that is not the only reason she has come back with us...." Thor trailed off, looking nervously at Loki who, for once, helped his brother out.

"There is a custom is Asgard that, when a group such as ours forms, the brudlaup ceremony is performed by the queen to recognize their union..." Now it was Loki's turn to trail off nervously. Frigga smiled with mirth at her two anxious sons.

"We brought mother back with us in the hopes that you all would agree to join us in the sacrament of wedlock!" Thor blurted out joyfully in his booming baritone. The room fell conspiciously quiet instantly, and a moment later everyone, even Nat, literally jumped at the sound of Tony's fork dropping from his hand and hitting his plate with a seemingly loud clatter.

"Hold on... Did Sunshine over there just ask us all to marry him?" Tony asked, completely taken aback.

"Actually, we both asked, Anthony," Loki answered solemnly. "The ceremony would have no legal standing here on Earth, I imagine, but we would genuinely like to bind ourselves to you all for the remainder of our days." The stunned silence of the group only grew deeper. Loki rarely spoke with so much feeling, even to them, sometimes especially to them.

"I had thought that my sons would wait more than a few minutes after our arrival to announce the intentions of my visit, there is still the mundr to consider, after all, but I would be very happy to perform the ceremony for you if that is what you all decide upon," Frigga said. Folding her napkin and placing it on the table beside her plate, she moved to stand. "I'll leave you all to discuss it this evening and we can talk more in the morning."

"No," Steve nearly shouted, placing his hand over hers to halt her movement. The flicker of disappointment in Loki's eyes didn't escape his notice. "No, I mean, we don't need to think about it. I won't presume to speak for everyone, but I for one am happy to accept your proposal." Everyone blinked, the stunned silence thawing quickly. "Tony?"

"Are you kidding me? Of course, I'm in! Jarvis, chill the champagne!" Tony exclaimed.

"Nat?" Steve asked next.

"I would be honored," the assasin answered, her smile vibrant.

"Me too!" Clint proclaimed, jumping up from his seat and tackle-hugging Thor from behind.

"Bruce? Pepper?" Steve continued.

"Nothing would make me happier," Bruce and Pepper responded identically and nearly simultaneously, much to everyone's amusement.

"Julia? Will you allow us to make you a true princess of Asgard?" Loki asked the brunette, who was visibly shaking with excitement, still sandwiched between the two princes.

"Yes, absolutely yes!" Julia wrapped her arms around Loki's neck and crushed her lips against his, then repeated the gesture with Thor. Everyone cheered at her answer, and dummy came rolling up to Tony with a bucket of chilled champagne on a tray with glasses. Tony popped the cork and Steve and Bruce helped with the pouring and distribution of glasses. Frigga raised her glass and the exuberent chatter gave way to an anticipatory quiet.

"To my future son's and daughter's, may your union be a blessed and happy one," Frigga toasted. A chorus of cheers and "here, here's" amid the clinking of glasses resounded.

"So we'll all be princes and princesses of Asgard, huh?" Clint asked, a bit of awe in his voice. The group began to clear the plates from the dinner table as everyone was either finished or too excited to eat at the time.

"Yes, with all of the protections of the Asgardian throne over you whether you are on Midgard or any other world," Thor answered. "It was father's idea, actually. Given the current situation with the Kree, he thought it best we do what we can to protect our loved ones. Once he'd suggested it, Loki and I couldn't get the idea out of our heads. We've always wanted to be bound to you all, but with the Allfather's blessing, we knew it was the right time."

"It also means should any of our joinings bear fruit, that child would become the heir to Asgard’s throne," Loki added. The plate Nat was carrying slipped from her hand and shattered at her feet. Clint glared at Loki while the other's shared awkward glances.

"Are you allright, dear?" Frigga inquired worriedly as she bent with a towel in hand to clear the mess from the floor.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine," Nat nearly whispered, her voice full of emotion. "I, um... I can't have children," she told Frigga.

"Never say never, dear. Sif may be able to help you with that. I'll set up a meeting for you two on your next visit to Asgard," Frigga offered, dumping the pieces of broken dish into the trash. "If that's something that appeals to you, of course. Neither of my sons are my own flesh and blood, but that is of absolutely no significance to anyone."

"Thank you, I'll think about it," Nat said.

"Well, I think I will retire to my room now. Travelling via the bifrost always has a way of wearing me out," Frigga announced. She placed a kiss on the forehead of each of her sons and bade them all good night.

The group lingered in the kitchen a few hours longer, finishing their champagne and another few bottles of wine among them as they caught up on all the goings on of Thor and Loki's trip home and everyone else's time while they were gone. It was Pepper who finally called an end to the evening.

"I hate to be a party pooper, but I have an early board meeting in the morning, and the head of R&D is supposed to be there too," she chided Tony as she took his only half empty glass from his hand and set it in the sink. "We're going to bed. Thank you, both, for asking us to formalize our union. I'm very much looking forward to it." Pepper kissed each of the norse gods before grabbing Tony by the hand and dragging him from Steve's arms and to the elevator. The other's slowly said their goodbyes with lingering kisses and touches.

Julia remained firmly attached to the brothers all evening. Thor scooped her up in his arms and carried her from the kitchen to the elevator and then down the hall to his bedroom, with Loki trailing close behind. Thor placed Julia down in the center of his massive bed. The two men removed their tunics and pants and climbed into bed on either side of Julia, Thor covering them all with the sheet and comforter as they snuggled close. Julia fell asleep quickly between her returned lovers and slept more peacefully than she had all week.

**Author's Note:**

> More to come soon. I'm already writing chapter 3. I hope this story comes out as good on paper as it has been in my head for the last week. Thanks for reading!


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